How to use vTools

Ron Jensen spoke today about vTools, which allows IEEE to become a data driven organization.

Important Links:
vTools site
vTools wiki
Meetings
Web-in-a-box

Current Projects:
vTools.Meeting: This is a great comprehensive tool that allows one to put in as much detail as needed. Registration for the meeting can be added, topic description of up to 8100 chars, fields to enter URLs to point members to a survey or registration are available, menu selections, and so much more! The tool can also auto generate meeting notices or the L31, offer handling of conference services or larger events, can set up internet conferencing, automatically archive the meeting data and will offer credit card handling in the future. Visit all the links on the front page to view RSS, calendar, meeting data, on-line registration, badge printing, meal tickets, feed meeting info to myIEEE or create notices. The tool is ease to you and the information is logically placed on the web-page. Give it a try!

vTools.Webinabox: This tools offers a basic section website. There is a wizard-like interface for creation of a website that is intuitive to use. Plus, this tool integrates with the IEEE database and the meeting tool to display calendars, events, meeting information and a webmaster is not required. It only takes 8 steps to create the webpage! Make sure your members get the most out of their IEEE membership, set-up a page to keep them engaged and connected! (Volunteers are needed to improve this tool, get it out of the Beta stage and make it available to student chapters and affinity groups. Contact R.Jensen@ieee.org or vtools@ieee.org if you can code using Ruby on Rails and are interested in helping this effort!)

vTools.Voting: Allows for electronic election in local sections. Easily create a ballot and post it on the web. Once it is enabled tell everyone to vote! (can set up a paper ballot as well)

vTools.Finance: Financial management to build a budget, handle payments, track spending, auto generate an L50 and more.

OU Demographics: Shows member distribution within a section's geographical area including a breakdown by society membership, however, this is in the prof-of-concept phase.

Future projects: Prospective members, integraion with myIEEE, off-line join, sections congress, section dashboard, integrations with collaboration tools, membership development, volunteer reporting, communication, agendas, awards. If you want to help this effort contact vtools@ieee.org right away!