Softshare Search Strategies Profiling for Perfection Softshare 805 8822570 gissoftshare.com www.soft

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Softshare Search StrategiesProfiling for
PerfectionSoftshare(805) 882-2570gis_at_softs
hare.comwww.softshare.com/wincats
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Goals and Objectives

• Basic Search Profile Structure
• Review Search Logic
• Review Softshare Vista Profiling capabilities
• Profile recommendations from Karen Loban
• Take a look at iSearch
• Have you visited our Web site lately?

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Profile Structure

• All profiles follow the same structure however
  not all elements are necessarily required
  
• source (optional)
• restrict (optional)
• select (mandatory)
• option (optional may also be at top)

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Source Filessource 2040/Global

• The first command in most profiles is the
  source command. It pulls in general rules that
  apply to all profiles under your Softshare
  mailbox account.
• A common example of a source file is to bring in
  search logic that eliminates all sole source bids
  or all bids for which specifications are not
  available.
• Some source files contain rules that eliminate
  certain types of bids or certain data sources.

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Source Filessource 2040/Global

• IMPORTANT REMINDER Periodically ask for a copy
  of your Source File and review its applicability
  to your clients.
  
• NOTE By default the Source file is always
  included, however, you can ask (via email) to
  exclude the Source file for a particular profile.

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Restrict Commandrestrict sec(cbd,dla,small,edi,b
id)

• The Restrict commands will always precede the
  Select commands in a profile.
  
• The Restrict command limits the profile to
  certain types of bids. For example you can limit
  the profile by
  
• Database
• Federal Supply Group
• State

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Restrict Command restrict sec(cbd,dla,small,edi,
bid)

• The Restrict command is most commonly used to
  limit the search to certain database. The
  database abbreviations are
  
• bid USABID State and Local
• bt Blue Tops
• cbd Commerce Business Daily
• dla Defense Logistics Agency Buying Centers
• edi FACNET, GATEC, VA and DAAS
• fto Foreign Trade Opportunities
• small Various Federal bids

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Restrict Command restrict cat10-99,D

• The second most common use for the Restrict
  command is to limit the federal supply groups.
  There are several ways to represent the
  categories
• restrict cat56,70,99
• restrict cat10-99,D
• restrict catsupplies
• restrict catservices
• restrict cat0

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Restrict Commandrestrict sec(cbd,dla,small,edi,b
id)

• Restrict commands can also be used in the reverse
  by adding the logical operator not. The
  following example means that the profile is
  searching all databases except the FTO
  database
• restrict not secfto

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Restrict Commandrestrict sec(cbd,dla,small,edi,b
id)

• IMPORTANT REMINDER If a profile is limited to
  certain databases or federal supply groups, then
  the keywords will be limited areas specified in
  the restrict statement.
• For example, if a profile is limited to federal
  supply group 70 restrict cat70then a
  contract for computer installation published in
  group D will not match.

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Select Commandselect (xray? or xray?)

• There may be an unlimited number of Select
  statements in a search profile .
  
• Each Select statement is a separate search
  command, and the one select statement is
  independent from a previous one, or the next
  one.
• Select statements support full Boolean logic.
• Select statements by default are case
  insensitive.
  

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Option Commandoption transportemail joe_at_aol.com

• There are three Option commands and they may
  appear either at the top of the bottom of a
  profile
  
• option transport email address
• option reportonly
• option width altstd
• As the name implies, these commands are all
  optional and depend upon your setup.

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Option Commandoption transportemail joe_at_aol.com

• If you want to send the bid match output directly
  to the email address of your clients then you
  will see the following command in the profile
  
• option transportemail joe_at_aol.com
• If you dont want to download a copy of this
  clients bid match then the following command
  will accompany the option transport
  
• option reportonly
• You can never have the option reportonly unless
  there is also an option transport in the profile.

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Option Commandoption width alt

• The third and last Option command determines the
  width of the printed bid matches that are
  forwarded to your center for mailing/faxing.
  
• By default all bid match output from the profiles
  will be forwarded to you 80 characters across the
  page. If you want to squeeze more onto the page
  you can turn on the Compressed Print option on
  the Criteria Tab of WinCATS, and the bid matches
  will print 120 characters across
• option width alt

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Search Logicand, not, or, ,?,

• There are a number of logical operators that can
  be added to each Restrict or Select statement to
  refine the search
  
• select hazardous and waste
• select waste and not abatement
• select hazardous or asbestos
• select leadpaint
• select cleanup?
• select wasteremov

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Search Profile

• restrict not secbid
• restrict catservices,99
• restrict age,textstate!ca
• select (moon or lunar)explor
• select mir
• select spaceshuttle?
• select spacestation?
• option transportemail sam_at_aol.com
• option reportonly

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Vistas Profiling Options

• There are two data entry screens in Softshare
  Vista
  
• Creating New Profiles
• Modifying Existing Profiles
• You can also send an email with updated
  instructions.

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Creating New Profiles

• The Search
• Profile button on
• the WinCATS
• Criteria tab is the
• same as the Vista
• File/New/Search
• Profile option. It
• brings up two
• screens automatically.

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Creating New Profiles

• The top screen is used to add keywords, codes and
  phrases to be searched. All keywords/phrases
  entered on this screen will become Select
  statements in your profile.

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Creating New Profiles

• The screen that is behind the keywords screen is
  used to specify the desired databases and federal
  supply groups and can also be used for additional
  comments.

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Modifying Existing Profiles

• The Profile Viewer lets you see all profiles on
  your system and also provides for an easy
  interface to make changes.

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Modifying Existing Profiles

• Click on the Modify button to add, change or
  delete keywords/phrases. You can also print the
  profile from here.

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Modifying Existing Profiles
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Profile Recommendations

• Put each phrase on it own line!
• The following (real) example is difficult to
  interpret
  
• gloves, latex, vinyl, rubber, protective,
  clothes
  
• Did the client want?
• select glove?
• select latex?
• select vinyl?
• Or did the client want?
• select glove?(latex or vinyl or rubber)
• select protectiveclothes

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Profile Recommendations
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Profile Recommendations

• If you want to restrict a profile to certain
  federal supply groups use the Restrict
  Sections/Groups button on Vista

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Profile Recommendations

• Selecting federal supply groups in the Add
  Search Terms screen will mean you search
  everything in those groups regardless of the
  keywords.

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Profile Recommendations

• Each time you use the Search Profile module in
  Vista it is assumed that you want to add to the
  existing profile.
  
• If you want to replace the existing profile then
  you should use the Vista Tools/Profile Viewer
  module or send an email.

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iSearchwww.softshare.com/isearch
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iSearchwww.softshare.com/isearch
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www.softshare.com/wincats
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www.softshare.com/wincats
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www.softshare.com/wincats
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www.softshare.com/eservice
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