Mastering Notes 📝

Elevate your procurement game with undrift’s Notes feature! Notes are your secret weapon for capturing metadata from meetings, conversations, and key decisions, ensuring every project is enriched with valuable context for the future negotiations or renewals. Whether you’re documenting supplier discussions, legal reviews, or strategic insights, mastering Notes keeps your source-to-pay process sharp and aligned with savings goals. Let’s explore how to harness this feature effectively!

Notes can be manually created for specific Suppliers in the Directory, or for a specific Project on the Activity Tab. 

Notes can automatically be created for Projects based on a stage, or a custom field. So if you have an "Amendment" that is currently under Legal Review (stage), undrift can automatically create a Note that includes the SOP or other pertinent information about amendments under legal review (for example). 

Notes at the Supplier Level:

Notes on the Project Page:

Key Features to Leverage

• Metadata Storage: Record critical details like meeting outcomes, supplier commitments, or legal stipulations to inform future negotiations.
• Automation Support: Automatically generate Notes based on project stages (e.g., “Legal Review”) or custom fields (e.g., “Amendment Status”), pulling in relevant SOPs or data.
• Project and Supplier Linkage: Notes created in the Directory for suppliers are reusable across projects, while project-specific notes stay tied to their context.
• Future Context: Use Notes to track historical data (e.g., “Supplier delayed delivery by 5 days”) for renewals or audits.

Step-by-Step Guide to Mastering Notes

1. Capture Meeting Metadata:
   • After a supplier call, go to the Activity Tab, click “Add Note,” and enter details like “Discussed 10% discount on [Product] – awaiting confirmation by 09/12/2025.”
   • Tip: Include dates and action items (e.g., “Follow-up due 09/11/2025”) for easy tracking.
2. Automate Note Creation:
   • Set up an automation: Navigate to the Automations tab, select “Create Automation,” choose a trigger (e.g., “Stage Change to Legal Review”), and configure a Note with prefilled text like “Amendment under Legal Review – SOP: [SOP Link].”
   • Benefit: Saves time and ensures consistency across projects.
3. Link to Suppliers:
   • In the Directory, add a Note to a supplier (e.g., “Prefers email communication – contact sales@supplier.com”) for reuse in relevant projects.
   • Action: Update the Note if new details emerge, keeping supplier data current. Or simply add a new note. 
4. Review and Refine:
   • Regularly check Notes on the Activity Tab to identify trends (e.g., repeated delays) or opportunities (e.g., “Negotiated $1,000 savings in Q3 2025”).
   • Tip: Use the search function to find Notes by keyword (e.g., “delay” or “savings”) for quick reference.
5. Integrate with Executive Summaries:
   • Notes automatically appear in exported Word summaries, providing full context for stakeholders in Executive Summaries.
   • Benefit: Enhances reporting and decision-making for strategic alignment.

Best Practices for Note Mastery

• Detail-Oriented: Include specific metadata (e.g., “Meeting on 09/10/2025 at 02:36 PM EDT – agreed to $500 savings”) to build a robust history.
• Stage-Specific Notes: Use automations to create Notes for each stage (e.g., “Intake: Initial scope discussed with [Supplier Name]”) for a clear project narrative.
• Collaborate with Team: In multi-user accounts, encourage team members to add Notes during handoffs to maintain continuity.
• Tie to Savings: Document how Notes contribute to savings (e.g., “Noted supplier error saved $200”) to align with undrift’s core value.
• Regular Audits: Review Notes monthly to update outdated information and plan for renewals.

Conclusion

Mastering Notes in undrift transforms your projects into living documents, capturing metadata that drives future success and maximizes savings. By documenting meetings, automating key updates, and linking to suppliers, you’ll keep your procurement process on track and ready for strategic wins. Start now—add a Note to your current project and see the difference!