Precis FAQs

1. What is Precis?
2. I collect more than just abstracts from my members. I collect awards, scholarships, grants and more from submitters. Will Precis be able to handle that?
3. I collect a LOT of different information from my submitters, am I limited to a set number of questions in the submission?
4. After the site closes, can more submissions be added? We have Invited Speakers and other administrative items that need to go into our program.
5. I have blind reviews with many different grading questions for my reviewers- is it possible to set that up on the review portion?
6. Can Precis handle my speaker management needs, also?
7. How long does it take to setup a site?
8. Do I need to download any software to use Precis?
9. Will I have to handle my own technical support questions from submitters or reviewers? What if I, as an admin, have a question?
10. I really only need the system for collection, review and notification purposes; I don't need to schedule the submissions or utilize an online itinerary planner. Is there a version of Precis that just has the components I need?
11. What is the cost of Precis?

1. What is Precis?
Precis is a robust, customizable system to help organizations collect, review and manage submissions. The submission and review components can be adapted to meet your needs. Administrators will have access to a menu where they can manage the submissions, manage the review process and scores, communicate with submitters or reviewers through blast emails and handle all of the scheduling of the conference. After the conference is scheduled, Precis has an online itinerary planner to allow the attendees to search the sessions and plan their personal itinerary.

2. I collect more than just abstracts from my members. I collect awards, scholarships, grants and more from submitters. Will Precis be able to handle that?
Since the submission components of Precis are so flexible, they can be setup to collect anything you would need. Precis has been used to collect abstracts, presentations, sessions, workshops, papers, grants, awards, scholarships, fellowships and much more. If there is anything that you may need to collect and have reviewed, Precis will be able to handle it.

3. I collect a LOT of different information from my submitters, am I limited to a set number of questions in the submission?
There is no limit to the number or types of questions that you collect from the submitters. The submission site is completely flexible for collecting data and can be matched to collect the information you need from your submitters. There are other online systems that give you a set number of standard fields, and then charge for any additions, but with Precis, you can collect everything you need!

4. After the site closes, can more submissions be added? We have Late-Breaking Sessions, Invited Speakers and other administrative items that need to go into our program.
Yes. There are several options for adding submissions after the official closing deadline. First, is to completely reopen the site, as in the case for late-breaking submissions. Second, is to use Invited Codes (a virtual backdoor) to let only select groups of people into the system. You pick the Code, length of time it is open, and the number of people who can use it. Finally, as an administrator you can go in at any time and add any information you want, board meetings, general sessions, food functions, breaks, etc.

5. I have blind reviews with many different grading questions for my reviewers- is it possible to set that up on the review portion?
The review site can be setup to show or hide whatever information you need. The presenter or author information can be hidden or shown to the reviewers, but Precis can even show or hide specific questions. So if there is certain author information you want to show to the reviewers, but not all of it, Precis can only display what you want. For the review criteria, you tell us what you want and we can take care of it. If you just use a 1-5 grading scale for your reviewers or ten different questions with 1-10 grading scales, along with comments boxes, recommended presentation types, etc., the Precis review site can be setup to meet your needs.

6. Can Precis handle my speaker management needs, also?
Yes, Precis can not only handle the open call for submissions and review process, but after the submissions are accepted, Precis can handle your speaker management needs, as well. Presenters can log back in to the site and enter any arrival/departure times, A/V requirements, upload their presentations or handouts or anything else you would need to collect from the speakers.

7. How long does it take to setup a site?
Site setups generally take 2-4 weeks as a rough estimate. Fairly basic site setups can be shorter and more complicated setups could be longer, but as a general estimate, the site normally takes between 2-4 weeks to build.

8. Do I need to download any software to use Precis?
You will not need to download anything to use Precis. Precis is all available online and can be accessed from any computer with an internet connection 24/7. Submitters, reviewers and administrators on the site will simply login with an email and password to access what they need.

9. Will I have to handle my own technical support questions from submitters or reviewers? What if I, as an admin, have a question?
The Precis technical support team will handle all technical support questions from submitters or reviewers using the site. Technical support is available by phone 9 am through 5 pm Eastern time, Monday-Friday. Technical support emails are always answered quickly and efficiently, with special consideration given around deadlines. Any support for the administrators from your organization would be handled by your personal Precis Account Manager who is always a phone call or email away.

10. I really only need the system for collection, review and notification purposes; I don’t need to schedule the submissions or utilize an online itinerary planner. Is there a version of Precis that just has the components I need?
Yes, Precis has a couple of different versions. The standard version of Precis contains the customizable submission and review components, administrative menu with blast email communication, reporting, session scheduling, data management, and an online itinerary planner. If you do not need the scheduling components or the online itinerary planner, there is an “Express” version of Precis that may be more suited for you. The Express version of Precis contains the same customizable submission and review components, but on the administrative menu, it does not have any scheduling features, it has limited reporting and there is not an online itinerary planner. If you will mainly be using Precis for submission collection, review, communication and managing the data, not conference scheduling, then the Express version may be a better fit for your organization and is a lower price point, as well. Contact a Precis Account Manager to see which version of Precis is right for you!

11. What is the cost of Precis?
The cost of Precis varies and is based on the number of submissions you receive for your collection process. There are different versions of Precis you can utilize, based on which features you may or may not need. Contact a Precis Account Manager for a more detailed estimate on Precis costs for your organization.