User Guide

The Applied Epic browser interface provides anytime, anywhere access to Applied Epic’s core capabilities through standard browsers on a Windows operating system for designated users in your agency.

Besides enabling you to perform key Epic workflows at your convenience from any Windows PC with an internet connection, the browser interface also gives you access to new, exciting features and redesigned screens that are not available in the Applied Epic desktop interface.

The browser interface mirrors your Applied Epic security and structure settings, as it uses the same infrastructure and business logic as the desktop interface. Because it leverages the same server footprint with comparable use of your organization’s system resources, it likewise provides the same performance and scale as the desktop interface.

Contents

• Getting Started
• Applied Epic configuration
• Browser configuration
• Additional system configuration
• Installing the Applied Epic Connection Suite
• Using the Browser Interface
• Differences in functionality
• Unavailable functionality
• Uninstalling the Applied Epic Desktop Client

Getting Started

To access Applied Epic from a web browser, you must request a unique URL for your organization. If you are authorized to make this request, complete the Applied Epic Browser form to request the URL. Once you receive it, you can share it with any users in your agency who will be using the browser interface. You may also want to share your Enterprise ID and the name of the Database they will be accessing, as they need to enter this information the first time they log in.

Applied Epic supports the most recent versions of the following browsers and leverages HTTPS/TLS 1.2 to encrypt all data in transit, as well as using random session identifiers.

• Google Chrome
• Microsoft Edge based on Chromium
• Mozilla Firefox

Applied Epic does not support other browsers, such as Apple Safari or Microsoft Edge (legacy), or mobile devices. You can access Applied Epic using a supported browser and install the Applied Epic Extension on a macOS or Linux workstation. However, the Applied Epic Connection Suite Package requires Windows. You cannot install this package on a macOS or Linux machine.

Applied Epic configuration

If your agency has enabled Single Sign-on (SSO), select either the Require password authentication or Allow Active Directory and password authentication radio button in Configure > Security > Logins for all Applied Epic browser interface users. However, note that some features are unavailable if you have enabled the option to allow Active Directory authentication.

Browser configuration

Configure the following browser settings on each user’s workstation to ensure full Applied Epic functionality. If they work in multiple browsers, make sure to update the settings for each one. The Knowledge articles linked below provide detailed instructions.

1. Popup settings
2. Cookie settings
3. PDF settings
4. Performance settings (Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge only)

Additional system configuration

Depending on your organization's firewall configuration, your administrator may need to allow access to specific internet domains and modify native messaging settings on each user's workstation to enable full Epic functionality. Refer to these Knowledge articles for details:

• Required Internet Domain Access for Epic Browser
• Required Local Access to Browser Native Messaging for Epic Browser

Installing the Applied Epic Connection Suite

For full functionality, we recommend installing the Applied Epic Connection Suite. The Applied Epic Extension and the Epic Connection Suite Package are required for many capabilities throughout the system. Depending on the functionality your organization has chosen to use and the workflows your role requires, you may also want to install the Epic Quotes Live Fill Applet.

Your organization’s IT staff can install the components en masse on all applicable workstations. Once you download the Epic Connection Suite Package installer, you can use off-shelf tooling to distribute the file to all applicable workstations to facilitate mass installation. Distribute the Applied Epic Extension first, then the Epic Connection Suite Package, then any optional components.

The Connection Suite Installation document provides detailed installation instructions. The Configuring the Applied Epic Outlook Add-in section below provides additional instructions on setting up the Microsoft Outlook integration.

If your organization allows individual users to install software and browser extensions on their local machines, you can also allow them to install the Connection Suite themselves. They must have the Connection Suite security permission granted from Program Access > General > General to access the Connection Suite page and install the components. Upon login, users receive on-screen notifications when updates are available for any of the components, but they must have the Connection Suite security permission to install the components themselves.

If users do not have permissions to install software for themselves and your organization does not use off-shelf tooling, an administrator must perform the installation on each applicable workstation.

After the Applied Epic Connection Suite Package has been installed and Applied has enabled auto-update functionality for your organization, all necessary package updates install automatically on the user’s workstation each time they access Applied Epic in their browser. The Connection Suite Installation document provides detailed information on the Epic Connection Suite Package’s auto-update functionality.

Connection Suite Components

The table below lists the Connection Suite components required for specific Applied Epic workflows. Please note the following dependencies, as the table does not list the requirements exhaustively:

• All workflows listed require the Applied Epic Extension.
• Any workflow that requires an optional component also requires the Epic Connection Suite Package.

Configuring the Applied Epic Outlook Add-in

The Applied Epic Outlook Add-in is required for email functionality in the browser interface. You must also select Outlook as the Email Integration Default in Configure > Email > System Settings (if you manage this setting system-wide), or direct users to select Outlook as their default in Configure > User Options > Email (if you allow them to select their own default).

The Applied Epic Outlook Add-in is included in the Epic Connection Suite Package installer (the MSI file) on the Help > Connection Suite page. Whenever the Epic Connection Suite Package contains an update to the Epic Outlook Add-in, Applied recommends closing Microsoft Outlook before installing the package to prevent errors during email workflows after the update.

When you install the Epic Connection Suite Package on a workstation for the first time, you must enter your organization's Applied Epic URL at the beginning of the installation. Leave the default selections for Connection to Applied Epic and Default Browser. If you use a browser other than your system default to access Applied Epic, however, select this browser from the Default Browser dropdown.

You can also modify the Applied Epic Outlook Add-in Configuration settings manually if necessary:

1. Open Microsoft Outlook and click the Applied Epic Outlook Add-in button in the Applied section of the ribbon.
2. In the Applied Epic Outlook Add-in Configuration pop-up window, select the Desktop or Browser radio button (depending on how you are currently accessing Epic). If you frequently switch between the desktop interface and the browser interface, you must update this selection each time you switch.
3. In the Epic Browser Settings frame, copy the URL from a browser in which Applied Epic is already open and paste it into the Applied Epic URL field. Microsoft Outlook uses this URL to connect to Epic.
4. Select your Default Browser from the dropdown menu. Make sure your selected browser has all required Connection Suite plugins installed.

All changes save automatically when you close the Applied Epic Outlook Add-in Configuration pop-up window. The Epic Connection Suite Package retains your Microsoft Outlook settings each time it installs an update.

Using the Browser Interface

You may only have one instance of Applied Epic—either browser or desktop—open at once.

For the most part, Epic looks and functions just the same through your browser as through the desktop interface. However, a few workflows available in the desktop interface have not yet been enabled in the browser interface, and some have slight functional differences. Many workflows are only available with Connection Suite components installed. Like the desktop interface, the browser interface may also leverage additional software on your workstation, such as Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Word.

The two tables below highlight the system areas that function differently in the browser interface and the system areas that are not yet supported. These tables assume that you have the Applied Epic Extension, Epic Connection Suite Package, and all applicable Optional Connections installed. If not, additional functionality may be unavailable.

Differences in functionality

System area	Capability	Notes
System-wide	Printing	Rather than printing directly from Applied Epic, you can download files to view or print locally as needed.   To manage multiple print-ready documents, enable the Print Center in Configure > User Options > Notifications. Access it from Print > Print Center on the options bar.
System-wide	File downloads	Workflows that generate a file or a batch of files automatically save the file(s) to your Downloads folder or prompt you to select a location (depending on your browser settings).
System-wide	Adding attachments	You can only add an Existing file, Document, or eForm as a new attachment, or drag and drop attachments.
System-wide	Delete original after attaching checkbox	If you want to delete files after attaching them, you must do so manually after performing the following workflows: Add Attachments Import Additional Interests Import Holders Custom Form Import Policy Attachment Import Contacts Configure > User Options > Field Defaults > Attachment/Activity Add Workflow The Delete original after attaching checkbox remains available when you attach received email messages from Microsoft Outlook to the corresponding Applied Epic account using the Attach to Epic option in the Outlook ribbon.
System-wide	Item selection	On transformed screens with lists of Available and Selected items, a checkbox has been added to the list header to select all items, the up and down arrow buttons have been renamed Add to Selected and Remove from Selected, and the double arrow buttons (to move all items from one list to the other) have been removed.
System-wide	Search	Search bars on transformed screens have been replaced with a single search field that searches information in the columns displayed in the list.
System-wide	Hot Keys	Some hot keys differ from those available in the desktop version of Epic to avoid conflicts with default browser shortcuts. For a list of available hot keys unique to Applied Epic, navigate to Help > Keyboard Shortcuts or press [Ctrl] + [/]. The list does not include common or generic keyboard shortcuts.
System-wide	Right-click context menu	The Spell check, Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste, and Select all options are available when you right-click an item; you can access all options except Spell check using their standard Windows hotkeys. Users with permission can click Edit in the menubar to enable Manage Required/Desired Fields. Then an alternate context menu displays when you right-click on a field, where you can designate it as Desired or Required. You must disable Manage Required/Desired Fields from the Edit menubar option to return to the standard right-click context menu. You cannot define Required/Desired Fields on transformed pages. Use the desktop interface to define Required/Desired Fields for these pages.
System-wide	Sticky Note	Click the icon on a sticky note to access menu options specific to sticky notes, such as setting the color or hiding the note.
Accounts	Add an Activity	A transformed Add Activity popup displays for manually created account servicing activities for Applied Epic organizations who do not have Active Directory authentication enabled in Configure > Security > Logins. The non-transformed page continues to display for system-generated and General Ledger activities. On the transformed page, the currently selected item defaults as the activity association, with no need to select it manually from the Associate To popup. If you need to associate the activity to a different item, click the Change Association link label to select it. To streamline the workflow, the redesigned popup contains only the most commonly used fields. If you need to access the Follow Up or Additional Details section, click the Go to Full Screen Add link label. The amount qualifiers and Unsuccessful Reason display conditionally based on your Open/Closed selections. All dropdown menus on the popup search dynamically as you type, rather than requiring you to navigate to separate popups to perform searches or locate an option in a long list. A lookup button is still available in the Who to Contact field. Employees and Work Groups have been combined into a single Owner dropdown, which includes a Type column to help you distinguish them.
Accounts	Add a Client	A transformed Add a Client page displays for Applied Epic organizations who do not use Active Directory authentication (that is, the transformed page is available to users who are prompted for a username and password when signing on to Epic). The Add a Client page is dynamic and only displays relevant fields based on your earlier selections. The system checks for duplicate accounts automatically once you have completed several key fields and displays the likeliest matches in a pop-up window. Suggestions for verified street addresses and Agency Defined Categories display dynamically as you type in these fields. If you select the SMS checkbox in the Phone frame, a prompt displays to ask if you want to enable Conversational SMS.
Accounts	Contact Detail	A transformed Contact Detail page displays for Applied Epic organizations who do not have Active Directory authentication enabled in Configure > Security > Logins. The redesigned page puts the most important information in a prominent place for more efficient data entry and client communication. The Contact Summary section at the top of the page provides key information at a glance. Click the Edit Contact Summary button to make quick updates. The tab structure has been simplified to display Preferences, Business, Payment Methods, and History tabs for Business contacts and Preferences, Personal, Payment Methods, and History tabs for Individual contacts. The system suggests street addresses and NAICS codes as you type, so you no longer need to enter them in full or perform a search. You can enter identification numbers for business contacts on the fly, directly from the Identification Numbers tab, rather than navigating a separate pop-up.
Configure	International > Regional Settings	The Currency Symbol settings apply to all system areas for all users, regardless of individual users’ selections in Configure > User Options > Region and Language.
Configure	User Options > Region and Language	Users can select their own Primary Country, Primary Language, and Date/Time Format preferences if they differ from the system-wide defaults defined in Configure > International > Regional Settings.
Distribution Manager email	Email signatures	Copying and pasting an image from an external source into an email signature is not recommended, as the image may not display (for example, if you paste an image from an existing Microsoft Outlook signature into an email signature in Configure > User Options > Distribution Email Accounts). To ensure that images display properly in your signature, use the Insert/edit image option on the formatting ribbon when creating or editing the signature in Epic. Images containing HTML or hyperlinks are not supported.
Procedures	Auditing	When users access client accounts from the browser interface, the Machine Name column of the Client Access Log displays blank for these users and the Device Account column displays BROWSER\MOBIUS. The Machine Name column in the User Login Report also displays blank for browser interface users, as web browsers cannot access this information.
Procedures	Scanning	In the browser interface, the Import Scans page replaces Batch Scans. On this page, you can import PDF or TIFF files that you have scanned outside of Applied Epic. The system processes these import jobs in the background so you can continue working. As in the desktop interface, you can include barcodes to route the page(s) or file(s) to the appropriate locations automatically upon import. Likewise, you can scan and save documents locally and drag them into the appropriate list in your browser to add the as attachments (in place of the Attachments > Acquire and Attach an Image option available in the desktop interface).
Reports	Generate Reports	If you select Print in Delivery Options or Print Preview from the Print menu, you must click the link in the notification that displays when the report has run in order to print it manually from your PDF viewer.

Unavailable functionality

Uninstalling the Applied Epic Desktop Client

Once you have implemented the Applied Epic browser interface, your organization’s IT staff can uninstall the Applied Epic Desktop Client from users’ workstations en masse via command line using this command:

C:\ASI\SMART\Software\UninstallTier.exe ASI.TAM Epic ThinClient NO_UI_WRITE_STATUS 
 "C:\EpicRemoteInstall”

You can substitute a different location for C:\EpicRemoteInstall if you prefer to write the status elsewhere.

If your organization allows users to install and uninstall software on their own workstations, they can uninstall the Applied Epic Desktop Client from Windows > Settings > Apps.