WEB USER GUIDE. D rev 2.0

Transcription

1 WEB USER GUIDE D rev 2.0

2 TRADEMARK NOTICE Bentley and the "B" Bentley logo are registered or non-registered trademarks of Bentley Systems, Inc. or Bentley Software, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. COPYRIGHT NOTICE 2010, Bentley Systems, Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Including software, file formats, and audiovisual displays; may only be used pursuant to applicable software license agreement; contains confidential and proprietary information of Bentley Systems, Incorporated and/or third parties which is protected by copyright and trade secret law and may not be provided or otherwise made available without proper authorization. RESTRICTED RIGHTS LEGENDS If this software is acquired for or on behalf of the United States of America, its agencies and/or instrumentalities ("U.S. Government"), it is provided with restricted rights. This software and accompanying documentation are "commercial computer software" and "commercial computer software documentation," respectively, pursuant to 48 C.F.R and , and "restricted computer software" pursuant to 48 C.F.R (a), as applicable. Use, modification, reproduction, release, performance, display or disclosure of this software and accompanying documentation by the U.S. Government are subject to restrictions as set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to 48 C.F.R , , , and , as applicable. Contractor/Manufacturer is Bentley Systems, Incorporated, 685 Stockton Drive, Exton, PA Unpublished - rights reserved under the Copyright Laws of the United States and International treaties. Bentley Systems, Incorporated Mesa Ridge Court San Diego, CA FAX eb Insight version 4 Web User Guide Published by Bentley Systems, Inc. Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Bentley Systems, Inc. The software and/or databases described herein are provided under a license agreement or nondisclosure agreement. The software and/or databases may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license or non-disclosure agreement. The purchaser may make one copy of the software for backup purposes. No part of this manual and/or databases may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electrical or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information recording and retrieval systems, for any purpose other than the purchaser's personal use, without the express permission of Bentley Systems, Inc. Unless otherwise noted, all names of companies, products, street addresses, and persons contained herein are part of a fictitious scenario or scenarios and are designed solely to document the use of the product. page ii

3 Table of Contents Introduction... 1 Logging on...1 SECTION 1: DOCUMENT MANAGER Window Layout... 3 Routine Navigation...5 Data Scope...6 eb s Explorer Options... 7 Explorer...7 Documents...8 Directory...8 Distribution...9 SharePoint...10 SharePoint Component View File Plans...12 Items...12 Work Exchange...12 Bulk Import/Export...13 Import/Update Documents Import Folders Bulk Transaction Administrator Update Preferences for Bulk Transactions My Jobs Publisher...14 Basket...17 My eb...19 Common eb Procedures Viewing a File...21 Viewing Document History...21 File Actions...22 File Transfer File Checkout Launching Files Rendition Adding Files Editing Document Information...25 Making a Copy of a Document...26 Deleting a Document...28 Adding and Deleting Folders...28 Adding a New Object Subscriptions...38 Object compare...39 Quicklinks...40 Create Work Order...40 eb Reports...42 User-Defined Reports page iii

4 Objects Searches Search result reporting Preferences Document Distribution...54 eb Web...54 File Options...54 Filters...55 Publish Options...55 Search Options...55 System Default...55 SECTION 2: WORK EXCHANGE Forthcoming Inbox Work in progress Completed Delegated Work Approvals Frequent Work Exchange Operations...58 SECTION 3: CHANGE MANAGEMENT Change Management in eb Web Declaration that a data object is change-controlled...63 Initiating a change request...63 Change Request Tracking...65 Change Request Status...66 Change Effects Analysis...67 Implementing a Change Request...68 Editing a Change Request...71 Copying a Change Request...71 Deleting a Change Request...73 SECTION 4: PHYSICAL ITEM MANAGEMENT Physical Item Management in eb Editing physical items...76 Copying a Physical Item...77 Baseline management...78 Item List Management...78 Serialized Item List Management...79 Creating a New Physical Item...79 page iv

5 List of Figures Figure 1: eb-web standard login dialog... 1 Figure 2: Typical three-pane screen layout... 3 Figure 3: Content pane fully exposed showing all information about a physical item... 5 Figure 4: Main action button-row... 5 Figure 5: Scope selector... 6 Figure 6: Tasks typically available in Explorer when displaying Report results... 8 Figure 7: Example of part of an organization directory... 9 Figure 8: Distribution option list... 9 Figure 9: SharePoint in the eb Navigator Figure 10: SharePoint document in the Content pane Figure 11: Synchronization behaviors Figure 12: Add to SharePoint dialog Figure 13: Bulk transaction preferences dialog Figure 14: Bulk import/export job listing Figure 15: Publisher package wizard, step Figure 16: Publisher package wizard, step Figure 17: Publisher package wizard, step Figure 18: Publisher package wizard, step Figure 19: Set of publisher packages Figure 20: Publisher package detail sheet Figure 21: Publisher package selector Figure 22: Example of a basket Figure 23: Start of the document distribution wizard Figure 24: Adding a data object to My eb Figure 25: Example of document history Figure 26: File actions context pop-up Figure 27: The document checkout dialog Figure 28: Example of the lock icon beside a checked-out document Figure 29: Options in the document rendition dialog Figure 30: Example document detail edit form Figure 31: Example document structure edit form Figure 32: The Copy Document dialog, Options tab Figure 33: The Copy Document dialog, Relationships tab Figure 34: The Copy Document dialog, Files & Copies tab Figure 35: Conformation that a document was copied Figure 36: Document delete warning Figure 37: Setup for adding a folder at root Figure 38: Creating a folder at root Figure 39: Example template for a vendor Figure 40: Template for new document Figure 41: Part of the new data object detail sheet Figure 42: The document create dialog Figure 43: The project create dialog Figure 44: The person create dialog Figure 45: The organization create dialog Figure 46: The location create dialog Figure 47: Location object showing child locations Figure 48: window at start Figure 49: Example of recipient list page v

6 Figure 50: Subscription options wizard, screen Figure 51: Subscription options wizard, screen Figure 52: Object comparer Figure 53: Quicklink URL generator Figure 54: Work order creator Figure 55: Work order created Figure 56: Typical reports menu Figure 57: User-defined reports -- Info and Task panes Figure 58: User-defined report display Figure 59: Reporting wizard page 1: Report Type Figure 60: Reporting wizard page 2: Criteria (blank) Figure 61: Reporting wizard page 2: Twin drop-down lists Figure 62: Effective date criterion completed Figure 63: Reporting wizard page 3: Columns Figure 64: Reporting wizard page 4: Column Ordering Figure 65: Reporting wizard page 5: Format/Execute Figure 66: Example of finished report Figure 67: Example of an eb system object presentation Figure 68: Document search options Figure 69: Search results table (partial) Figure 70: Search object type selector Figure 71: Preference Editor, unexpanded Figure 72: Sample of part of an about window Figure 73: Filter preferences dialog Figure 74: Unexpanded work exchange tree Figure 75: A work order in progress Figure 76: notification of an incoming task Figure 77: Forthcoming task folder, expanded Figure 78: Typical forthcoming task details Figure 79: Task pane options for forthcoming work Figure 80: Summary table of inbox tasks Figure 81: The Delegate Task dialog Figure 82: Edit screen of a change-controlled object Figure 83: Change request icon/link Figure 84: Required fields in a change request form Figure 85: Example of an Affected Document Figure 86: Part of a change request navigator Figure 87: Dialog for recording a status change Figure 88: Example change effects analysis report Figure 89: Object selection dialog Figure 90: Implement change request, Affected C/R tab Figure 91: Implement change request, Properties tab Figure 92: Implement change request, Relationships tab Figure 93: Implement change request, File & Copies tab Figure 94: Copy Change Request dialog, Properties tab Figure 95: Copy Change Request dialog, Relationships tab Figure 96: The Physical item explorer Figure 97: Typical physical item detail sheet Figure 98: Physical item edit form Figure 99: Baseline creation dialog Figure 100: Physical Item List dialog page vi

7 Introduction eb Web Introduction eb Web provides access to the powerful eb enterprise content and configuration management platform, designed for viewing via the Internet in a standard web browser window. Most modern browsers can display and control eb Web, but Microsoft Explorer 8 is recommended. Java must be enabled for some functions, and some popup blockers may interfere with eb Web screen renderings. Browser navigation buttons may be used in the normal way to navigate your history list, e.g. to return to a previous screen. eb Web is capable of accessing documents and physical items stored in the eb platform across the enterprise, or around the world, using a standard web browser. eb Web presents assigned work order tasks via the Work Exchange option. eb Web includes two user-specific areas known as My eb and the Basket, which may be utilized to store often-accessed data. eb Web can generate and distribute reports. eb Web can manage publishing packages. eb Web can interface with your SharePoint documents. Logging on To access eb Web, you are allocated a URL that connects to your company s eb data sources, sometimes referred to as communities. You are, obviously, assigned a unique user name and password. If your company has several communities, you need to select which community to connect to using the drop-down list on the third line of the login dialog. Figure 1: eb-web standard login dialog The user name is forced to upper case, and the password is case sensitive. There is a checkbox for remembering your user name and password. To log out of eb Web, locate the red logout button at top right of the Navigator pane. If you do not log out using this method, eb License Manager will be unaware that you have logged out. Consequently, if you are using a named license, and try to log back in, the eb named license will be deemed to be in use, so D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 1

8 eb Web Introduction access will be denied. Once 15 minutes of inactivity has elapsed a license timeout will occur. The license will then be available for the user to log back in. page 2 D rev 2.0, aug 10

9 Window Layout eb Web SECTION 1: DOCUMENT MANAGER With the fully-installed eb document manager, a user can manage and present enterprise information related to documents, people (within the corporation and not), organizations, locations, physical items and serialized items as well as change management and records management. If your eb system does not include all of the eb products, some of the components and functionality described in this section will not be available. Window Layout The eb Web window can contain up to three panes. Figure 2 shows a typical window arrangement with the Navigator/Search pane at left, the Content pane in the middle and the Task pane at right. Navigation pane Content pane Task pane Figure 2: Typical three-pane screen layout To reach this screen status, the Documents option has been selected from the drop-down menu at the head of the Navigator pane, then the Knowledgebase Article document class in the explorer tree has been expanded, and one of the documents in that folder selected. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 3

10 eb Web Window Layout Note: In eb, a Document can contain an arbitrary number of individual files. The document shown contains one.doc file. When viewing documents in the Content pane, the Sections area is present in the Task pane. You have the option of switching between the Details, Structure, and History default views of a document in the Content pane, by clicking on those links (The eb Web layout editor allows these information layout sections to be changed). Note: The vertical border between the Navigator pane and the Content pane may be dragged to any position. In its rightmost position the Navigator pane fills the entire screen width. In its leftmost position, the Navigator pane is obscured. The Task pane (if any) stays the same width. Figure 3 shows the Content pane expanded to accommodate a physical item. The View Files option in the Media section of the Task pane opens a new browser window allowing rapid browsing of all files in the document. The Launch files option opens files in their native application. Get Local Copy initiates a file download to your own file structure. Files may also be rendered or sent to the print queue. Other Task pane options are described later in this document: Edit: Editing Document Information on page 25 Add: Adding and Deleting Folders on page 28 Copy: File Transfer on page 22 Add to Basket: Basket on page 17 Delete: Adding and Deleting Folders on page 28 Check Out: File Checkout on page 22 Launch Files: Launching Files on page 23 Render: Rendition on page on page 36 Subscription: Subscriptions on page 38 Get Quicklink Url: Quicklinks on page 40 Compare: Object compare on page 39 Create Work Order: Create Work Order on page 40 Add to (SharePoint) Doc Library: SharePoint on page 10 Add to Publisher: Publisher on page 14 The Task pane is not always present. If only a few tasks are possible in the context of what you are displaying, links to them may be offered at the top of the Content pane. page 4 D rev 2.0, aug 10

11 Window Layout eb Web Figure 3: Content pane fully exposed showing all information about a physical item Routine Navigation At the head of the Navigation pane is a row of (typically seven) buttons in an action bar. These buttons control the content of that pane. They re depicted and labeled in Figure 4. Add objects Set preferences Search Logout Navigation mode Help (this document) System reports Figure 4: Main action button-row As with most navigation or directory trees, a plus-box to the left of a folder name indicates that the folder may be expanded to expose sub-folders one level down, by clicking on the plus-box. Click on the minus-box to compress the sub-folders again. In eb Web, an up arrow-box also means that a topic is expandable to show more information. Likewise the down arrow-box can be used to re-compress the line. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 5

12 eb Web Window Layout Data Scope A scope is a means for partitioning data within a single eb community. Each scope may have its own set of classes, attributes, templates, organizations, and people. Certain list values, e.g. Responsibilities, may also be unique to a scope. Scope names within a community must be unique. Users, via their assignments to roles, have rights to access data in some scopes but not others. As part of the installation of a community, a default scope, named Global, is created. Additional Scopes are only required where there is a requirement to create and maintain data in the same community that may exist independently of other data. Examples where this may be applicable are Project-based data and Organizational data. A scope may be in a hierarchical structure, e.g. where there is a PROGRAM that is made up of many smaller PROJECTS. The program would be the parent scope and each project would be a child of this parent scope. Users are able to view and use data from the Global scope, as well as from any scope associated with a role to which they belong, and any other parent scope. In order to be able to access a scope, the user must belong to at least one role in each scope in the hierarchy. Immediately under the action bar is a prominent green bar displaying the current data scope. The scope ID is an active link, popping up a scope selector. Figure 5: Scope selector page 6 D rev 2.0, aug 10

13 eb s Explorer Options eb Web eb s Explorer Options To return to the navigation mode from searching or adding a new object, use this button: At the head of the Navigation pane is a drop-down list that typically includes the following items: Basket Bulk Import/Export Directory Distribution Documents Explorer File Plans Items My eb Publisher SharePoint Work Exchange Depending on your eb License and chosen plug-ins, your administrator may well have set up other explorers. Each of these explorer options is a specific Navigator. Selection of any one navigator completely changes the content of the Navigation pane, reflecting a view of the eb system that s restricted so that the user may conveniently focus on one set of information. In general, a navigator is a list of links to content that may be selected and displayed in detail. A navigator is often, but not necessarily, a tree structure. Explorer The Explorer exposes the system-defined folder structure of the eb community you are connected to. When you log on to eb Web, or when you select this navigator from the drop-down list, the System Root appears in the Content pane (see the section Adding and Deleting Folders on page 28 to learn how to create a new folder in the System Root.) You can then expand any part of the tree, drilling down through the folders, to any coherent group of data objects. At all times, the tasks that are appropriate and that you have permission for appear in the Task pane. An example is shown below. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 7

14 eb Web eb s Explorer Options Figure 6: Tasks typically available in Explorer when displaying Report results Documents The Document class navigator provides another approach for accessing documents in the eb system by focusing on the hierarchical document class structure. You can expand the class tree to see a list of documents for a particular class. Selection of an actual document changes the content of the Content pane to show the details of that document. You can view and update a document as described in the Common eb Procedures section on page 21. You cannot add folders to, or delete folders from, this hierarchy. Directory The Directory explorer is like a multi-level rolodex, storing categorized information on employees, customers, vendors, etc. Your system administrator defines which person, location or organization objects are to be included in the Directory explorer. If you have the requisite permission to customize the directory, any folder you select or create can become a directory folder. Use the Set as Directory Folder link in the Task pane for this purpose. page 8 D rev 2.0, aug 10

15 eb s Explorer Options eb Web Figure 7: Example of part of an organization directory A directory content pane for an organization displays the key contact personnel, the directory information, related personnel (person objects,) and related organizations. Selection of a personnel name shows an individual 'rolodex card. Note: Creating a new record in the directory is an administrator function only. Distribution This explorer manages your document distribution lists. You can have as many of these lists as you wish, or you can pick individual distributees from a global list at the time you release your documents typically from the Basket. A wizard steps you through the distribution process. Figure 8: Distribution option list D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 9

16 eb Web eb s Explorer Options Other distribution options are as shown above. SharePoint Microsoft SharePoint is a collaborative environment for information exchange and document management, applicable over a LAN, a WAN, or a VPN. This embedded feature allows you to expose any eb object to the SharePoint library using options such as Move, Link, Sync and Reference. Also, you will be able to view and edit document properties and relationships in the context of projects and document class hierarchies. For installation instructions, plase refer to D001105: eb for SharePoint Installation & Admin Guide starting on page 2. SharePoint Component View In terms of SharePoint, eb Web is a client in which you can view and add documents to SharePoint, and conversely register SharePoint files with eb. The web client provides an update on the status of the job after its request to the SharePoint server is submitted successfully to the queue for processing. SharePoint Operations To display the current SharePoint library in the Navigation pane, select it in the Navigator drop-down. The explorer shows the collections of SharePoint web applications and sites that are detected by the event handler. Figure 9: SharePoint in the eb Navigator The Historic References node contains references to eb objects that were at one time registered with SharePoint but have since been excluded, or de-registered. Expanding the tree and clicking on any SharePoint item exposes its URL in the Content pane: Figure 10: SharePoint document in the Content pane page 10 D rev 2.0, aug 10

17 eb s Explorer Options eb Web For document libraries, the synchronization behaviors are also displayed as a topic. Figure 11: Synchronization behaviors To add a document to the SharePoint library: 1. With an eb object displayed in the Content pane, click on Add to Doc Library in the Actions section of the Task pane. A dialog pops up, repeating the SharePoint library tree in an outlined pane. Figure 12: Add to SharePoint dialog 2. In the SharePoint tree, select the folder to which you want to add this document. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 11

18 eb Web eb s Explorer Options 3. Select link option Synchronize or Link using the radio buttons. If you select Link, the document (or other eb object) will not remain synchronized in eb and SharePoint. 4. Click on the Complete > button. Once the document is successfully added to a SharePoint document library, its SharePoint location is given in the document property page, in a SharePoint Links topic. If more than one SharePoint library references this eb item, all the links are available. To register a new SharePoint file with eb: 1. With an unregistered SharePoint document in the Content pane, click on Register with eb in the Actions section of the Task pane. Four registration options are offered in the Content pane, selectable by radio buttons, as follows: Link: Copy the SharePoint file contents to eb. The SharePoint file is replaced with an html link that launches the file content in eb. Move: Move the entire document into eb based on the user's selection of an eb template. The document resides in eb only, the SharePoint file being removed as long as you have permission to delete files from the site. Reference: Create a MOSS location in eb. The file resides in SharePoint with its SharePoint html link shown in eb Director and eb web object page. Synchronization: The current default behavior of eb for SharePoint when an eb document is added to SharePoint. 2. Make your registration option and click on the Create > button. To de-synchronize a SharePoint file: 1. Click on Exclude in the Actions section of the Task pane. 2. A warning dialog is displayed in the Content pane. Click on the Exclude > button to complete desynchronization. File Plans File Plans are long-term document management schemes. A reference can be seen in D00475 eb Administration Guide, Section 10, Records Management. Items This explorer focuses on physical items. See SECTION 4: PHYSICAL ITEM MANAGEMENT on page 75. Work Exchange See SECTION 2: WORK EXCHANGE on page 57. page 12 D rev 2.0, aug 10

19 eb s Explorer Options eb Web Bulk Import/Export The purpose of the Bulk Import/Export Utility is to allow selected users a mechanism to perform a bulk import/export routine of documents or folders into eb. Import/Update Documents Users who have 'Bulk Updates' permission have a menu option to bulk import/update documents using Excel spreadsheets. The images for the import should reside in a shared directory or UNC path determined by the Administrator. Import Folders Users have a menu option to bulk import directories as folders and files as electronic files using directory structures in their disks/electronic media. The images for the import should reside in a shared directory or UNC path determined by the Administrator. Bulk Transaction Administrator Update Preferences for Bulk Transactions Both import and export functions have configurable preferences for templates and directory paths, for example. Figure 13: Bulk transaction preferences dialog Update as required and click on the Update > button at lower right. My Jobs A link is provided for you to inspect a list of your bulk jobs, their type, date, and status. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 13

20 eb Web eb s Explorer Options Figure 14: Bulk import/export job listing Publisher In this explorer you can create, modify, delete and/or publish packages of eb objects. Publisher packages include all contents: object instance data, hierarchies, and the files contained within documents. A package may be formatted as html, chm (Microsoft help file,) or xml. Thus they are inherently suitable for distribution to non-users of eb and entities outside your enterprise. Figures 15 through 18 show the four steps of the publisher package creation wizard. Figure 15: Publisher package wizard, step 1 Step 2 of the wizard offers retrieval options. For every type of eb object, topics to be retrieved may be selected using checkboxes. page 14 D rev 2.0, aug 10

21 eb s Explorer Options eb Web Figure 16: Publisher package wizard, step 2 The purpose of Step 3 is allow exclusion of any attributes from the package. Transfer to the Selected window all atributes you wish to include. If you leave the Selected window empty, by default all attributes are considered selected. Figure 17: Publisher package wizard, step 3 The final step is for setting output options format, status, and file naming. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 15

22 eb Web eb s Explorer Options Figure 18: Publisher package wizard, step 4 When you have created several packages, the Content pane can display them, as follows: Figure 19: Set of publisher packages Options in the Explorer are View (leading to the screen shown above) and Create. Options in the Task pane are Create, Delete and Publish. Delete/Publish apply to any packages checked in the Content pane. Clicking on any individual package code exposes its detail in the Content pane, with further editing options in the Task pane: page 16 D rev 2.0, aug 10

23 eb s Explorer Options eb Web Figure 20: Publisher package detail sheet To add an eb object to a publisher package: 1. Having located the object by some means such as a search or a navigator, click on Add To Publisher in the Actions section of the Task pane. A publisher package selector opens in the Content pane, listing your existing publisher packages. You also have the option of creating a new package. Figure 21: Publisher package selector 2. Select a package in the left pane and click on the Complete > button (not shown in the Figure above.) Basket The basket is very similar to a shopping cart on a commercial web site. Any item that can be displayed in the Content pane can be placed temporarily in the basket simply by clicking on Add to Basket in the Actions section of the Task pane. Figure 22 illustrates a basket. Unlike a commercial shopping cart, the basket does not expire after a fixed time. All links remain in the basket until removed. Place anything in the basket that you d like to keep handy for quick reference or work it s your personal area of eb Web. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 17

24 eb Web eb s Explorer Options To add an eb object to your Basket: Having located the object by some means such as a search or a navigator, click on Add To Basket in the Actions section of the Task pane. Pull-downs Figure 22: Example of a basket The two menu bar items Actions and Basket are pull-down overlays offering the following options: Actions Add Change Request Add To Folder Add To Publisher Bulk Document Updates Bulk VIGs Updates Create Distribution List Distribute Documents Launch Send Submit Print Job View Basket Empty Remove Selection Select All Select None If a specific Basket item is selected and its content displayed in the Content pane, the Task pane offers a whole suite of additional actions. To remove some of the basket contents: 1. Check the boxes to the left of any items you wish to remove. 2. Click on Remove Selection in the Basket pull-down overlay. To clear the basket completely: Click on Empty in the Basket pull-down overlay. page 18 D rev 2.0, aug 10

25 eb s Explorer Options eb Web Removing items from the Basket does not delete them from the eb system. Basket items are merely pointers to data. To distribute basket contents: 1. Check the boxes to the left of any items you wish to distribute. 2. Click on Distribute Documents in the Actions pull-down overlay. The distribution wizard launches in the Content Pane, as shown below: Figure 23: Start of the document distribution wizard The distribution wizard takes you through a decision tree with a varying number of steps depending on your choice of distribution options. Distribution, unlike Publishing (see Publisher on page 14) is the distribution and tracking of hard copies internally. People outside your enterprise would not normally be on an eb distribution list. My eb Another personal data area of eb is designated My eb. Use it to organize in folders any eb objects that you are interested in, including personal search routines. Anything that can be located by the Explorer can be placed in My eb. To add a data object to My eb : 1. Display the object in the Content pane. 2. In the Task pane, click on the Add to Folder link. 3. In the folder list that pops up, verify that Use the selected folder is selected and highlight My eb. 4. Click on the Complete > button (see Figure 24). D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 19

26 eb Web eb s Explorer Options Figure 24: Adding a data object to My eb page 20 D rev 2.0, aug 10

27 Common eb Procedures eb Web Common eb Procedures Once a data object has been selected from one of the explorers in the Navigator pane, there are many ways in which it may be handled. Depending on the permissions of the user, it may be viewed, edited, transferred, checked out, copied or deleted. Viewing a File Files contained within eb documents are normally listed in the Files topic in the Content pane. Clicking on a file name causes the file to open for inspection. Depending on your eb settings, it may open either in the ViewCafé viewer, if that plugin is installed, or in its native application (Adobe Reader or Microsoft Word, e.g.) with all controls including on-screen help. It may also open within the eb window. Note: In general, View invokes the Java ViewCafé generic viewer, while Launch opens the file in its native application. You may be prompted with a File Download dialog, confirming the file type and offering the options of Download or Open. If you select Open in this dialog, the file opens within the eb Web window. When a file opens within eb, the Content pane remains open but the Task pane disappears. The large pane in which the document opens is sometimes referred to as the Page pane. Most of the native menus and controls are available, but editing is inhibited in this mode. To return to the three-pane display, simply click on the document class in the Navigation pane again. If the document to be displayed is non-literary a photograph, or a movie, for example it may open in the Viewer as read-only. If an application capable of displaying the file exists on the user s workstation it may also open within that application with full control. The launch option (see Launching Files on page 23) would force the file into the separate application. Viewing Document History If the History link is available in the Sections area of the Task pane, you may click on it to bring the document s edit history into the Content pane. The topic is listed as Audit Details, and every eb object has this topic. The name of the person responsible for each edit, and the date it was carried out, are listed for each audit event. Figure 25: Example of document history D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 21

28 eb Web Common eb Procedures File Actions For convenience, many common actions pertaining to individual files within a document can be initiated by selecting from a context pop-up menu, without having to bring all details of the file into the Content pane. Simply mouseover the icon in the Actions column of the Files topic to pop this menu up: Other task pane options may include: Figure 26: File actions context pop-up File Transfer You may wish to transfer a file to your local computer or workstation, and (so long as you have the necessary permission) there are several ways of accomplishing this. You can click on the file name, exactly as for viewing the document, but answer download instead of open in the Windows File Download dialog. File Checkout If the Check Out link is available in the Edit section of the Task pane, you can use that. A dialog appears in which you can specify the local folder as a destination for the file, and select from the list of files in the data object (see Figure 27). Other users are inhibited from editing the document until you check it back in. Note: The checked-out files destination folder has a default value that you can set as a preference see Publish Options on page 55 page 22 D rev 2.0, aug 10

29 Common eb Procedures eb Web Figure 27: The document checkout dialog In the above dialog, the checkbox in line with the list header selects all documents in the list if there are many. Lock Figure 28: Example of the lock icon beside a checked-out document Once a document is checked out by you, the option Check in appears in the Task pane when that document is exposed in the Content pane. The check in dialog is virtually identical to the check out dialog. Important: Checkout is only available for documents whose approval status is Not Approved. Launching Files If the Launch Files link is available in the Media section of the Task pane, you can use that. The file opens in the appropriate application in your local computer (if such an application exists). Other users are not inhibited from editing the document, and there is no check back in function. If you do considerable work on a document in your local work station, and want to place it back into the eb vault (not a recommended procedure), you would have to use the Add document function and give it a new filename. Rendition If the Render link is available in the Media section of the Task pane, you may make a rendition of the document typically as a PDF file, a TIFF image, or an ASCII text file. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 23

30 eb Web Common eb Procedures Figure 29: Options in the document rendition dialog To render a document: 1. Click on the Render option in the Task pane. 2. In the Create Rendition dialog, select what document type you wish to render to. 3. Check if you want the document watermarked. 4. Click on the Render > button. You are returned to the Content pane, and the new rendition appears in the file list. Adding Files Shown above is the large Add button which appears in the task pane if you have permission to add files to a document. If there are multiple copies of the document, a small drop-down menu allows you to specify which copy you add to. To add a file from your local computer to a document in eb: 1. Double-click the Add button in the Task pane. 2. Navigate to the file in the Select Files window that pops up. 3. Click on the Open button. Another method: 1. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the file. 2. Select the file. 3. Drag-and-drop it onto the Add button in the Task pane. The file is transferred to the eb document that is currently showing in the Content pane. Refresh the browser window to see it. page 24 D rev 2.0, aug 10

31 Common eb Procedures eb Web Editing Document Information If an Edit link is available in the Task pane that means you have permission to edit the details and/or structure of the document. To edit details: 1. Select Details from the small drop-down list in the task pane. 2. Click on the Edit button. 3. Edit the document properties, as needed. 4. If changes are needed in related topics, expand the topic and edit as needed. 5. Click on the Save or Save and Close button. Figure 30: Example document detail edit form Important: Three of the fields in the edit form are examples of mandatory, or required, fields. They are flagged with red lettering and a caution triangle. Required fields in all eb edit forms are flagged in this way. To edit document views other than details: 1. Select the required view from the small drop-down list in the task pane. 2. Click on the Edit button. 3. Expand the desired topic and make your changes. 4. Click on the Save or Save and Close button. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 25

32 eb Web Common eb Procedures Figure 31: Example document structure edit form Making a Copy of a Document If the Copy link is available in the Actions section of the Task pane, you may make a new document from the document in the Content pane. All chosen attributes and relationships are copied to the new document instance. To make a copy: 1. Click on the Copy link in Actions. A three-tab Copy Document dialog opens in a new window: Figure 32: The Copy Document dialog, Options tab 2. In the Options tab, edit the Number and Revision fields (note the two-part Number field). 3. Examine the checkbox properties carefully, leaving checked only those you wish to copy. 4. Display the Relationships tab. page 26 D rev 2.0, aug 10

33 Common eb Procedures eb Web Figure 33: The Copy Document dialog, Relationships tab 5. Examine the checkbox relationships carefully, leaving checked only those you wish to copy. Click on the Advanced radio button to expose further options including disposition of child and parent document objects. 6. Display the Files & Copies tab (if any.) Figure 34: The Copy Document dialog, Files & Copies tab 7. Select from the available options for carrying over files and copies. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 27

34 eb Web Common eb Procedures 8. Click on the Copy > button. A confirmation is displayed. Figure 35: Conformation that a document was copied Deleting a Document If the Delete link is available in the Edit section of the Task pane, that means you have permission to delete this document. Since the delete action is irrevocable, you see the following warning dialog before you confirm your intention: Figure 36: Document delete warning When you click on the Delete > button, the document details and all related electronic files are removed from the eb system. Important:. All relationships to other objects also need to be removed before 'Delete' is possible. Adding and Deleting Folders New folders may be created in the explorer tree, either at system root or as children of existing folders, so long as you have the necessary permission. Figures 37 & 38 show a folder about to be added at system root. page 28 D rev 2.0, aug 10

35 Common eb Procedures eb Web Figure 37: Setup for adding a folder at root The procedure is to simply click on the Add Folder link in the Task pane. The Create Folder dialog opens: Figure 38: Creating a folder at root Specify the data scope if not Global, enter the name for the new folder and click on the Add Folder > button. To delete a folder, provided you have the requisite permission, expose it in the Content pane and click on the Delete link in the Task pane. Adding a New Object If you have the required permission level, you may add new data objects to the eb system. Initiate the process by clicking on the Add new Objects button at the top of the Navigator pane. The object types you may add appear in a list in the Navigation pane. Typically, documents, change requests, items, locations, organizations, people, and projects are in the list. Important: In all the object create dialogs, a field name in red accompanied by the warning triangle indicates a required field. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 29

36 eb Web Common eb Procedures Before using the free-form dialogs for data object addition, always look to see if a template is available for that object type. Click the plus-box beside the data object type to expand the information tree. An example of part of a document template, with its associated tasks, is shown as Figure 39. Figure 39: Example template for a vendor You can now use the Create Instance button to add a document conforming to this template. Note that after creation of the instance you have the options Open for Display/Open for Edit/Stay On This Page. To add a new document and file using shortcut : 1. In the Add Object navigator, expand the documents tree and click on the appropriate document class name. The Add new object shortcut dialog is displayed in the Content pane. page 30 D rev 2.0, aug 10

37 Common eb Procedures eb Web 2. Click on the Create Instance button. You can now edit the new object. Figure 40: Template for new document D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 31

38 eb Web Common eb Procedures Figure 41: Part of the new data object detail sheet To add a new document: 1. In the Add Object navigator, click on the word Documents in the Navigation pane. A document create dialog is displayed in the Content pane. 2. Select the data scope if not Global. 3. Complete the document number and, optionally, the revision number, on the first line of the dialog. 4. Enter a title in the second line of the dialog. 5. Enter the document class on the fourth line. 6. Check the checkbox for Change controlled if appropriate. 7. Optionally, use the two calendar pickers to register the date effective/date obsolete. 8. Optionally, enter any remarks and synopsis text. Note: If remarks and synopsis overflow the text boxes provided, click on the words More room to obtain a free-form text box filling the entire screen. 9. Select from the options Edit object/view object/create another object/add the new object to my basket. 10. Click on the Save > button. page 32 D rev 2.0, aug 10

39 Common eb Procedures eb Web Figure 42: The document create dialog To add a new project: 1. Click on the word Project in the Navigation pane. A project create dialog is displayed in the Content pane. 2. Select the data scope if not Global. 3. Enter a project code ID in the first field of the dialog. 4. Enter a project name in the second field of the dialog. 5. Enter the organization responsible in the third field of the dialog. This field is auto-complete, allowing only organizations in the eb database to be entered. 6. Select Authorized/Planned/Cancelled/Completed from the status drop-down menu. 7. Select from the options Edit object/view object/stay in this screen/add the new object to my basket. 8. Click on the Save > button. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 33

40 eb Web Common eb Procedures Figure 43: The project create dialog To add a new person (Admins only): 1. Click on the word Person in the Navigation pane. A person create dialog is displayed in the Content pane. 2. Select the data scope if not Global. 3. Enter a personal code# in the first field of the dialog, or use? together with a numbering mask. 4. Enter the last name in the second field of the dialog. 5. Enter the person s initials in the third field of the dialog. 6. Optionally, enter the first name, title, and status as ACTIVE in the subsequent fields. 7. Optionally, enter the person s full name in the seventh field of the dialog. 8. Optionally, enter any remarks in the last field of the dialog 9. Select from the options Edit object/view object/create another object/add the new object to my basket. 10. Click on the Save > button. Figure 44: The person create dialog To add a new organization: 1. Click on the word Organization in the Navigation pane. An organization create dialog is displayed in the Content pane. page 34 D rev 2.0, aug 10

41 Common eb Procedures eb Web 2. Select the data scope if not Global. 3. Enter a code# in the first field of the dialog. 4. Enter the organization name in the second field of the dialog. 5. Optionally, enter any remarks in the third field of the dialog. 6. Select ACTIVE from the status drop-down menu. 7. Select from the options Edit object/view object/stay in this screen/add the new object to my basket. 8. Click on the Save > button. Figure 45: The organization create dialog To add a new location: 1. Click on the word Location in the Navigation pane. A location create dialog is displayed in the Content pane. 2. Enter a location name in the first field of the dialog. 3. Enter the organization name in the second field of the dialog. 4. Select user-defined types (e.g. Assets/Documents/Geographical/Items/Tag) from the type dropdown menu. 5. Optionally, enter a unqiue location code in the third field of the dialog. 6. Select from the options Edit object/view object/stay in this screen/add the new object to my basket. 7. Click on the Save > button. Figure 46: The location create dialog Every Location data object in eb may have any number of child locations. To edit child locations: D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 35

42 eb Web Common eb Procedures 1. Select the location object from the Directory, from basket, or from the Explorer tree. 2. Click on the Edit link in the Task pane and expand the Child Locations topic (Figure 47). 3. To add, click on the plus-button at the bottom of the list. An Object picker window opens. 4. Select the most suitable method of defining a location (from tree, basket or search.) 5. Click on the Close button. 6. To delete a child location, check the checkbox to the left of its name and click on the Remove button at the bottom of the list. Figure 47: Location object showing child locations There are many other editable topics associated with a Location object. You can send to all persons registered to your data community from within eb Web. This feature is particularly useful when you have exposed one or more data objects in the Content pane, and you d like to send them out as an attachment. In general, the option for this is present in the Actions section of the Task pane. You can also originate messages from your Basket, and place your frequent e-correspondents in the Basket for easy retrieval. Figure 48 shows the window as it first pops up. Your task is to build up your recipient list using any of the three options indicated by the radio buttons. page 36 D rev 2.0, aug 10

43 Common eb Procedures eb Web Figure 48: window at start Option 1: Enter names and numbers -- As soon as you enter any text in the Select box, an auto-complete window pops up listing all people who satisfy your entry so far. If, say, your first character is a C, the window will contain any people whose first or last names OR code#s begin with C. Click on a name at any time to transfer it into the Select box, then click on the Select button to transfer that person to the recipient list up above. Option 2: Select objects from Basket A list of people stored in your Basket pops up, from which you select recipients. Option 3: Use the search A directory search window pops up. This search uses the same search syntax and wildcards as the eb search function. Inspect your recipient list (see Figure 49) to make sure it is complete and accurate. You can delete a name, if necessary, by checking the checkbox to the left of it and clicking on the minus-box beneath the list. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 37

44 eb Web Common eb Procedures Figure 49: Example of recipient list Complete the Subject line and message body, then click on the Send > button to send the mail and attachment. Note: Send is inhibited if either the Subject or Body is null. Subscriptions If you need to keep special track of a document for example, to be notified whenever the document changes eb Web allows you to subscribe to the document, selecting what events you need to be notified of. You may also subscribe other users to a document. To subscribe to an eb object: 1. Having located the object by some means such as a search or a navigator, click on Subscription in the Actions section of the Task pane. An options wizard is displayed: Figure 50: Subscription options wizard, screen 1 2. Select one of the three radio buttons and click on the Next > button. page 38 D rev 2.0, aug 10

45 Common eb Procedures eb Web Figure 51: Subscription options wizard, screen 2 3. Select an event type and click on the Subscribe button. Object compare In general a document or other eb object may be compared with any other similar object in the database, and the differences displayed in a style of your choosing. To compare an eb object: 1. Having located the object by some means such as a search or a navigator, click on Compare in the Reports section of the Task pane. An comparison reporter is displayed: Figure 52: Object comparer 2. Enter the document or other object you wish to compare to. The field auto-completes and a green check mark is displayed if the document is found. 3. Set the Highlighting Style drop-down menu to Line Out Removals or Red/Blue/Green. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 39

46 eb Web Common eb Procedures 4. Check Hide unchanged properties to see only the changed sections in the report. 5. Click on Generate Report. Quicklinks A quicklink is a direct path to an eb object in the form of a URL with added parameters, usable in any document or message you may wish to prepare. Details of the parameter set available for quicklinks are in D Those accessible to eb Web are Mode and Document Status. A dialog allows specification of these, which are then encoded in the quicklink. To generate a quicklink to an eb object: 1. Having located the object by some means such as a search or a navigator, click on Get Quicklink Url in the Actions section of the Task pane. The quicklink generator dialog opens. Figure 53: Quicklink URL generator 2. Select the Mode and Status you wish to encode. 3. Click on the Copy to clipboard button. Create Work Order Many eb objects, whe n on display in the Content pane, can easily be made the basis of a Work Order. To create a work order based on an eb object: 1. Having located the object by some means such as a search or a navigator, click on Create Work Order in the Work Exchange section of the Task pane. The work order creator dialog opens, displaying all available templates for this object type. page 40 D rev 2.0, aug 10

47 Common eb Procedures eb Web 2. Select a template using the radio button set. 3. Click on the Create > button. Figure 54: Work order creator If the work order is created successfully, you see confirmation and further options: 4. Either View or Edit the work order. Figure 55: Work order created View leads to a screen similar to that depicted in Figure 75. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 41

48 eb Web Common eb Procedures eb Reports The extent of eb report-printing is highly dependent on the set of plug-ins that your installation includes and, as with all areas of eb, the complexity of your data sets. The procedure begins with a click on the Reports icon, which is found in the middle of the toolbar in the Navigation pane. Content exposed in the Navigation pane might be as depicted in Figure 56, or it may be much more complex. For example, the Record Management module reports are shown in the Figure. Figure 56: Typical reports menu User-Defined Reports Figure 57 shows the Content and Task panes with one page of reports already created. Typical navigation features are provided when the user-defined report list overflows. Column headings are Report Code, Name, and Description. Figure 57: User-defined reports -- Info and Task panes Note: Create New Report is only offered in the Task pane for users having New Object Instances > Report permission. To display an existing report: Click on the report title in the list. Figure 58 shows display of a Purchase Requisition report, with user-defined column headers. page 42 D rev 2.0, aug 10

49 Common eb Procedures eb Web Figure 58: User-defined report display Note that the Task pane allows for Download, Edit, Save and Delete operations. To filter the report list 1. Enter search criteria in the box labeled Search for Report. In Figure 57, this field is filled with a % sign, meaning all. 2. Click on the green search arrow. As usual, the % character is a wild-card. Entering d%, for example, would filter for all reports whose names began with the letter D. To create a new report: 1. In the Task pane as shown in Figure 57, click on Create New Report. The reporting wizard steps you through five pages, Report Type, Criteria, Columns, Column Ordering, and Format/Execute. 2. In the Report Type page, select the type of report you wish to create from the drop-down list. In Figure 59 Document is selected. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 43

50 eb Web Common eb Procedures 3. Click on the Next button. Figure 59: Reporting wizard page 1: Report Type The Criteria wizard page allows you to create filters either global or specific, with as many dimensions as you wish. In theory the criteria definition could be highly complex, but for most purposes a single statement is enough. Figure 60 shows the page with no criteria yet defined. Note: Filter definitions are actually written in eql, an eb query language similar to SQL. Users with well-developed SQL skills may prefer to write and/or edit the eql query directly. To make this possible, check the Show eql Editor checkbox at upper left of Wizard Page 2. An edit pane opens up revelaing the raw eql query. Edits may be transferred from the criteria builder to the eql editor, and vice versa, using green UP/DOWN arrow buttons. Figure 60: Reporting wizard page 2: Criteria (blank) 4. Optionally, enter any global class filter in the top edit box. page 44 D rev 2.0, aug 10

51 Common eb Procedures eb Web 5. Create the first criterion statement using the two drop-down lists provided. For economy and clarity, Figure 61 shows both lists expanded, with Properties > Date effective in the process of being selected. In practice, these lists are cascaded the content of the second list dependent on the selection made in the first. Figure 61: Reporting wizard page 2: Twin drop-down lists 6. Click on the + button to move your selected criterion into the criterion list. 7. Complete the statement with an operator and value. In the case illustrated, the date can have operators such as equals, less than, etc., and the value set with a calendar-picker to any desired date. In Figure 62, the value of the date filter has been set. Figure 62: Effective date criterion completed 8. Check that your statement is meaningful by clicking on the Execute Report green arrow button. You may do this at any time as you build a complex set of criteria. 9. Group drop-downs are used in complex multi-line criteria to specify the logical order in which criteria are applied, using nested parentheses. The Boolean column allows logical operators such as AND, OR. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 45

52 eb Web Common eb Procedures 10. Multi-line criteria may be re-arranged using the small up/down buttons to the left end of the line. Check the Mod checkbox in any line you wish to move. 11. When satisfied, click on the Next button. Figure 63 below shows Page 3 of the reporting wizard. All possible column headings are displayed, with checkboxes allowing you to select or deselect them at will. There may be many other topics not shown in the figure. Figure 63: Reporting wizard page 3: Columns 12. Select the column headings you wish to include. Again, you may test your selection using the Execute Report green arrow button. 13. When satisfied, click on the Next button. Figure 64 below shows Page 4 of the reporting wizard. This screen allows you to determine the list sort order with high precision. The list is eventually sorted by the criterion at the top of this page, then the next and so on. page 46 D rev 2.0, aug 10

53 Common eb Procedures eb Web Figure 64: Reporting wizard page 4: Column Ordering 14. Add each column heading to the list using the drop-down and the + button, in whatever order you choose (this step has been completed in the illustration, sorting first on Code ascending, then on Class Code ascending, then Date Effective ascending.) 15. Select Ascending or Descending sort order for each column. 16. Re-order the list at any time, checking Modify for the list item you need to move, then using the small up/down arrows at left. 17. When satisfied, click on the Next button. Figure 65 below shows Page 5 of the reporting wizard. This page allows you to specify the display order of columns in the report, as distinct from the columns used for sorting. In the example, Code is the primary sort criterion but the third column in list display order. Figure 65: Reporting wizard page 5: Format/Execute 18. Make any needed final adjustments to the report and click on the Save Report button. A preview of the report is shown below as Figure 66. A full range of typical follow-up procedures is found in the Task pane. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 47

54 eb Web Common eb Procedures Figure 66: Example of finished report Objects The Objects section of the Reports menu exposes a set of graphical aids providing summary data about eb objects. An example is shown as Figure 67. Figure 67: Example of an eb system object presentation All report types may be printed and/or downloaded. page 48 D rev 2.0, aug 10

55 Searches eb Web Searches A search is initiated by clicking on the search button in the header of the Navigator pane. Searches are initiated from the Navigator pane, using a dialog box. Figure 68 shows the dialog for a document search, set to find all documents modified between two given dates. Figure 68: Document search options Note that in this setup documents may be searched by title, number, full text, effective and modified date, class, and status. Search results display in the Content pane and any document in the results list may be shown in detail (by clicking on its number). D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 49

56 eb Web Searches Figure 69: Search results table (partial) Note that, in the Task pane, options for printing and downloading the results table are offered. The download file is in.csv format, suitable for importing into, say, a spreadsheet. The Full Text Search is only applicable to document classes that have the FTR capability enabled, and it searches the content of the electronic files in the eb system. Naturally it can take some time to come up with results. Based on your eb System, additional searches may be available for other object types. Whatever object types are available are in the drop-down selector at the head of the dialog (Figure 70). An appropriate set of fields is presented for each search. Options available in the task pane include printing or ing a copy of the result list. The list may also be added to a folder or to your basket. Figure 70: Search object type selector page 50 D rev 2.0, aug 10

57 Searches eb Web Search result reporting Clicking on the Create Report link in the Navigation pane (see Figure 68) is a short-cut to the report creation wizard described on page 42. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 51

58 eb Web Searches page 52 D rev 2.0, aug 10

59 Preferences eb Web Preferences eb Web offers many options for individual users wishing to tailor the application to suit themselves. These are grouped in a Preferences dialog. To access the Preferences dialog: Click on the eb logo at extreme top left of the eb screen, in the header of the Navigation pane. Figure 71 depicts the main part of the editor that displays in the Page pane. There is no Task pane. Figure 71: Preference Editor, unexpanded Click on About this Web Application to pop up an information window summarizing the parameters currently in force and listing your plug-ins. Part of this listing is shown below. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 53

60 eb Web Preferences Figure 72: Sample of part of an about window Options in the seven main topics are described below. Click on the up-arrow, as usual in topics, to expand hiden information. Important: Click on the Save button to confirm any change you make. Document Distribution This topic gives you an opportunity to set up a default distribution pattern for your documents addressees, comments, etc. See To distribute basket contents: on page 19. eb Web In this topic you can set or reset defaults such as Navigator, Search Type, et. File Options Set your default document checkout path here. page 54 D rev 2.0, aug 10

61 Preferences eb Web Filters Four toggle options are available for configuration of the Explorer tree, and provision is made for excluding irrelevant documents if your database becomes cluttered with historic data versions that you never need to see. Figure 73 shows the filter options, with the Status Filter expanded. Figure 73: Filter preferences dialog Publish Options In this topic you can set the default destination for files to be published. Your administrator may have set up other options. Search Options Default and maximum search result lists, and possibly other options, may be set here. System Default triggering is one typical option in this topic. Your administrator may have set up other options. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 55

62 eb Web Preferences page 56 D rev 2.0, aug 10

63 Preferences eb Web SECTION 2: WORK EXCHANGE The Work Exchange plug-in feature of eb Web is a sophisticated task manager, presenting assigned tasks to users and assisting them in workflow management, presented as a familiar tree-structured navigator. Reach it by clicking on the Navigator button in the Navigation pane. Figure 74: Unexpanded work exchange tree Figure 74 depicts a typical Work Exchange navigator, in its simplest form. The folders serve as work storage space. Tasks move from folder to folder as the user accepts, works on (or delegates) and completes the assigned items. Once all tasks for a specific work order are completed, all reference to that work order is removed from the user's Work Exchange tree. The Approvals folder only applies to those users labeled as "Approvers." Work orders or other objects awaiting their approval are placed in the folder at the bottom of the tree. Forthcoming This folder contains all tasks that have been assigned to a specific person for future action. The work orders of these tasks have already been authorized, but a predecessor has to first complete their task before the current user will be able to accept the task from their inbox. This feature allows users to look ahead at the tasks that have already been allocated to them. Inbox The Inbox contains all tasks that have become the responsibility of the current user. These tasks are ready to be performed. Tasks in this folder can either be accepted or sent for rework. Once accepted, the task moves to the Work In progress folder. Work in progress The Work in Progress folder contains all tasks that have been accepted by the user. Actions available in this area include adding notes and documents to a parent work order, viewing physical items, projects, serialized items and virtual items that are associated with the work order as well as viewing the work order itself, delegating or sending the work order for rework and completing the work order. Completed The Completed folder contains all tasks that have been completed by the user. These tasks stay in the Completed folder until the whole work order has been completed. Once the work order has been completed, the tasks are removed from the various Completed folders. Users are only allowed to view detail in the completed folder. Delegated Work The Delegated folder contains details of tasks that the user has delegated to others. The user first assigned the task is still responsible for the work being completed, and all delegated tasks remain in the user's Delegated folder until each one has been marked "Complete". D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 57

64 eb Web Preferences Approvals The Approval folder, only visible to Approvers, contains all objects that have been submitted for approval or authorization. Detail in this folder may be viewed, approved and/or rejected. Figure 75 shows a checked-out work order. Figure 75: A work order in progress Frequent Work Exchange Operations Tasks do not necessarily start in the Forthcoming area. They may be placed directly in your Inbox by a supervisor, in which case you should receive notification. page 58 D rev 2.0, aug 10

65 Preferences eb Web Figure 76: notification of an incoming task To examine forthcoming tasks: 1. Expand the Forthcoming folder in your Work Exchange tree. 2. Expand further, if necessary, to drill down to the task you wish to examine. Figure 77: Forthcoming task folder, expanded 3. Click on the task. Details flow into the Content pane. Figure 78: Typical forthcoming task details Possible manipulations, exposed in the Task pane, are as shown in Figure 79. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 59

66 eb Web Preferences Figure 79: Task pane options for forthcoming work You may attach a note to the task, or place a copy of it in any accessible folder including My eb. Clicking on Work Order exposes the parent work order in the Content pane and leads to two further options: Cancel or Suspend. To accept a task: 1. Expand the Inbox folder in your Work Exchange tree. 2. Click on the task to be accepted. Details flow into the Content pane. The Task pane offers links to Accept or examine the parent work order. Rework is a further option for completed tasks. 3. Click on the Accept link. The task now moves to the Work in progress folder. The task stays in this folder while you work on it, and no new task is moved into the Inbox until the current task has been marked Complete. You may also: 1. Click on the top-level Inbox folder. A summary table of tasks flows into the Content pane (Figure 80). 2. Check any tasks you wish to accept, or check the checkbox in the table header for All. 3. Click on Accept in the task pane. Figure 80: Summary table of inbox tasks To delegate a task: 1. Expand the Work in progress folder in your Work Exchange tree. 2. Click on the task to be delegated. Details flow into the Content pane. 3. Click on the Accept link in the Task pane. A Delegate link is now added in that pane. 4. Click on Delegate. A delegate dialog (Figure 81) opens in the Page pane. 5. Enter the skill area to delegate to. 6. OR: Type the code for a user in the Responsible Person field. 7. Add any instructions that should accompany the task and click on OK. The task moves from the Work in progress folder to the Delegated Work folder. It is also placed in the Work in progress folder of the person to whom it was delegated. Once the delegated party has completed work on the task, the system sends it back to the Work in progress folder of the person originally assigned the task to mark as completed. page 60 D rev 2.0, aug 10

67 Preferences eb Web Figure 81: The Delegate Task dialog To mark a task as completed: 1. Expand the Work in progress folder in your Work Exchange tree. 2. Click on the completed task. Details show in the Content pane. 3. Click on the Complete link in the task pane. The task moves to the Completed folder. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 61

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69 Change Management in eb Web eb Web SECTION 3: CHANGE MANAGEMENT In the section Editing Document Information on page 25, the procedure for routine document revision is described. Refer again to Figure 30, and note that the checkbox indicating Change Controlled is unchecked. This allows new revisions to be added from 'Approved' eb objects without capturing the Change History (Reason for change). Once the new version is approved, status on the prior version changes to Historic. Your corporate policy may require a much more formal process for tracking changes to critical data objects, and eb facilitates this with its Change Management plug-in. Change Management in eb Web Declaration that a data object is change-controlled An object such as a document, a physical item, or a virtual item group, is normally flagged as change-controlled at the time it is first added to eb. This is done by simply checking the change-control checkbox in the edit screen, as seen in Figure 82 (which is identical to Figure 41 other than the change-control flag.) Figure 82: Edit screen of a change-controlled object Approved objects so flagged can only be edited through a formal change request process. The object s Change Status goes from Current to Change Pending to Under Change in the course of the approval process. Initiating a change request A change request is initiated by clicking on the Add Change Request icon or link in the task pane, when a change-controlled item is displayed. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 63

70 eb Web Change Management in eb Web Figure 83: Change request icon/link Change requests can only be implemented using pre-defined templates. If more than one template exists for this class of object, you must make a selection using a radio button before clicking on the Create button. The change request form is now called into the Content pane, as illustrated in Figure 84 below. The required fields are as follows: Figure 84: Required fields in a change request form Table 1: Required change request fields Field Number Requestor Organization Date Requested Description Notes Unique tracking number. Defaults to the next number in sequence based on the defined mask of the template, but may be entered freely Person making the request. Defaults to the identity of the user currently logged in Affiliation of the requestor Defaults to the current date Free-form descriptive text of the change page 64 D rev 2.0, aug 10

71 Change Management in eb Web eb Web Table 1: Required change request fields Field Reason Priority Category Notes Free-form explanation of the need for change User-defined drop-down menu of priority levels, used for searching, sorting and reporting Pre-defined drop-down menu, also used for searching, sorting and reporting In addition to these required fields, the change request form may have many additional fields, as defined by the template. These typically include estimated recurring and non-recurring costs of the proposed change, technical review comments, etc. There may also be further dialogs for such related topics as affected documents, keywords, responsibilities, and so on. Click on the expansion buttons to expose these. As soon as the new change request has been added, the 'Affected' object that was selected to be changed appears either in the 'Affected Documents', 'Affected Physical items' or 'Affected Virtual Item Groups' topics. Figure 85: Example of an Affected Document Change Request Tracking All change requests, regardless of status, are exposed in a Class navigator that may be selected in the Navigator pane. Figure 86 below shows part of one, arranged to look like a file structure. Figure 86: Part of a change request navigator Clicking on an item in the tree retrieves its details in the Content pane, which are the same as on the change request form plus the current status of the request. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 65

72 eb Web Change Management in eb Web Change requests may also be the subject of searches. Fields that may be searched on are Description, Number, Status, Class, and By date. The wild-card character % may be used in any field. With all fields blank and Status set to Any, the search returns the complete set of change requests that exist. Clicking on an item in the search results list displays the same details in the Content pane as described above. Change Request Status When a change request is first initiated, its status is listed as Draft. As the request moves through the approval process, its status can become any of the following: Table 2: Change request status, interpretation Draft Proposed Cancelled Expedited Approved Rejected Completed Initial status Elevated status, reflecting a judgment that the CR will likely result in actual change Request not a valid change Indicates that data objects need to be released for change before the change analysis is complete Releases all affected objects for change implementation and locks the change record Indicates a judgment that the proposed change is too high a risk All affected objects have completed the change cycle Any time a change request is exposed in the Content pane, an administrator or other user having the required permission may change the CR status by clicking on a link in the Status list at the bottom of the Task pane. In all status changes except a change from Draft to Proposed, a supplementary dialog pops up to record the date and reason for the change, and other details. Figure 87 below shows a dialog for Expediting a change request. page 66 D rev 2.0, aug 10

73 Change Management in eb Web eb Web Figure 87: Dialog for recording a status change Also of interest in terms of change request tracking is the topic labeled Progress, found by scrolling down the Content pane when a Change Request form is present. An information table can be exposed that shows the past and present labeling of all affected items, in From and To columns. Change Effects Analysis In a complex interlinked data system such as exists in most technical corporations today, it is not always possible to calculate the implications of a change in a deterministic way. eb is quite capable of displaying all data objects with primary links to the object under change, but allowance is made for a human knowledge worker to determine whether those objects are in fact impacted by the change, and whether perhaps impacted objects with secondary or tertiary relationships are not listed. This process is known as Change Effects Analysis. To carry out a Change Effects Analysis: 1. Expose the Change Request in the Content pane, either by selecting it in the navigator or by searching for it. 2. Click on the Effect Analysis link in the Report section of the task pane. Figure 88 shows a fairly simple Change Effects Analysis as it appears in the Content pane. There is no Task pane associated with it. This type of report can potentially be much more complex than this example. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 67

74 eb Web Change Management in eb Web Figure 88: Example change effects analysis report In this example, a remote controller has been reported as unreliable and a replacement is suggested. Data objects that are potentially impacted by the change are grouped as physical items, responsibilities, parent documents, virtual items and work orders. Every element seen here can be inspected in more detail simply by clicking on its link. To refine this analysis: 1. Check any items you have reason to believe will be impacted by the same change, or that may have secondarily-related objects that will be impacted. 2. Click on Add As Affected Object. 3. Click on Calculate. Secondary objects are added. 4. Iterate steps 1) and 2), if necessary, until you are convinced that the list is complete. The report may be hard-copy printed, using the link in the list header. Implementing a Change Request When a Change Request reaches the status of Expedited or Approved, a link and icon for Implement Change Request appears as an Action option in the Task pane. The same option appears on eb objects that carry the status Under Change. Note: It is possible that a Change Request has been completed without its status having been amended to reflect that fact. In such a case, the icon and link do not appear. The Progress topic in the Content pane shows at all times which components of the change have in fact been implemented. page 68 D rev 2.0, aug 10

75 Change Management in eb Web eb Web To implement a Change Request: 1. Click on the Implement Change Request icon or link. 2. Select the object(s) to implement from the dialog. Figure 89: Object selection dialog 3. Click on the Implement > button. This launches a four-tab dialog. Figure 90: Implement change request, Affected C/R tab The Implement and Discard options need no explanation. Carry over means to withhold implementation at this time but keep this item as part of the Change Request, with its current status. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 69

76 eb Web Change Management in eb Web Figure 91: Implement change request, Properties tab Figure 92: Implement change request, Relationships tab page 70 D rev 2.0, aug 10

77 Change Management in eb Web eb Web Figure 93: Implement change request, File & Copies tab 4. Click on the Implement > button to complete the implementation cycle. Editing a Change Request Users having the required permission may edit a Change Request whose status is Draft, Proposed, or Expedited. To edit a Change Request: 1. Expose the Change Request in the Content pane, either by selecting it in the navigator or by searching for it. 2. Ensure that Details is shown in the Edit drop-down menu in the Task pane. 3. Click on the Edit button in the Task pane. The editable Change Request form is displayed in the Content pane. Make your edits and click on either Save or Save and Close. Copying a Change Request Users having the required permission may make a copy of a Change Request. To copy a Change Request: D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 71

78 eb Web Change Management in eb Web 1. Expose the Change Request in the Content pane, either by selecting it in the navigator or by searching for it. 2. Click on the Copy icon or link in the Task pane. A Copy Change Request dialog is displayed in the Content pane. Figure 94: Copy Change Request dialog, Properties tab 3. Edit the Number field. The copy will not be accepted using the same number as the original. 4. Review the checkboxes and edit as necessary. 5. Click on the Copy > button. Figure 95: Copy Change Request dialog, Relationships tab page 72 D rev 2.0, aug 10

79 Change Management in eb Web eb Web Deleting a Change Request Users having the required permission may delete a Change Request, so long as it is free of all relationships to other eb data objects. To delete a Change Request: 1. Expose the Change Request in the Content pane, either by selecting it in the navigator or by searching for it. 2. Click on the Delete icon or link in the Task pane. Since the delete action is irrevocable, a confirmation dialog will be displayed. Click on the Yes > button to confirm. Important: The action of deleting a Change Request might destroy valuable historical information. Consider whether changing the Change Request s status to Cancelled might be more appropriate. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 73

80 eb Web Change Management in eb Web page 74 D rev 2.0, aug 10

81 Physical Item Management in eb eb Web SECTION 4: PHYSICAL ITEM MANAGEMENT eb Web manages information in its database in an object-oriented way. Real life objects are identified with key identifiers; these are associated with a number of attributes or descriptors, providing more information about each object. The objects are then related to each other in hierarchical assemblies, or in oneto-one, one-to-many or many-to-many relationships, depending on the nature of the associated object. Physical Item Management in eb Physical items are things that form part of a tangible system, either as single components, complete items or systems, or sub-sets of these. Such items are either procured, designed, fabricated, warehoused, assembled, distributed or maintained by the enterprise. In eb, a physical item may be hardware, software or firmware, which is used, built, operated or maintained as part of the Enterprise process. An Item Manager plug-in is needed for the purpose of managing physical items, lists, and baselines. A dedicated Items explorer may be selected in the Navigation pane to expose all physical items in a tree structure, as illustrated in Figure 96. Figure 96: The Physical item explorer Physical items may also be exposed in the Content pane as a result of a search for that type of eb object. Fields that may be searched on are Description, Number and Approval status. The wild-card character % may be used in any field. With all fields blank and Status set to Any, the search returns the complete set of physical items that exist. Note: A checkbox in the search dialog may be checked to exclude obsolete items. Figure 97 below shows the detail sheet of some software. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 75

82 eb Web Physical Item Management in eb Figure 97: Typical physical item detail sheet In addition to the tabulated details shown, many additional topics may be appended. If the physical item exposed is classed as a component, the Where Used topic may be expanded to show all structures containing this component. Editing physical items Users having the required permission may edit a physical item, by clicking on the Edit button in the Task pane. The same fields as shown in Figure 97 are called into the Content pane in an editable form. As usual, mandatory fields are clearly flagged (Figure 98.) Most of the edit fields are self-explanatory, but some need a little explanation: Number (required): Item numbers are not constrained to a particular format, but they must be unique. Configuration Item: This yes/no toggle, if checked, indicates that the item is designed in-house, as opposed to procured. Any item that has a breakdown (children in a Physical Item List) must be flagged as a Configuration Item. Class: This field is not free-form. It auto-completes, and is restricted to classes that have already been created to facilitate searches. Serialized: A serialized item is one that has many instances, but the instances are not as interchangeable as paper clips. Each instance is allocated a serial number so that it may be tracked individually, and documents may be associated with it. Main Equipment: If toggled on, flags the item as the top parent item in a structure or assembly. page 76 D rev 2.0, aug 10

83 Physical Item Management in eb eb Web Figure 98: Physical item edit form Phantom: A phantom is a procured item that appears on a bill of materials but is not, or not yet, actually purchased. Build or buy (required): This drop-down can have the values Sub-contracted, Fabricated, or Procured only. All of the topics in the pane below this main edit form are potentially editable, also, by expanding them and adding information. When editing is complete, click on the Save or Save and Close button. Copying a Physical Item Users having the required permission may make a copy of a Physical Item. To copy a Physical Item: 1. Expose the item in the Content pane, either by selecting it in the navigator or by searching for it. 2. Click on the Copy icon or link in the Task pane. A Copy dialog is displayed in a separate window. Proceed as for other object copying ( Making a Copy of a Document on page 26.) D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 77

84 eb Web Physical Item Management in eb Baseline management A baseline is like a snapshot of a physical item s configuration, including all supporting documentation, stored for use at some future date for the purpose of comparing the baseline with the item s then-current configuration. eb recognizes two types of baseline: A physical item baseline, containing all approved documents relating to the item A product baseline, encompassing all physical item baselines in a defined structure An item baseline is automatically created on approval of the item, but either type may be created manually. To create a baseline: 1. Click on the Create Baseline icon or link in the Task pane. A dialog (Figure 99) is displayed. 2. For a physical item baseline, click on the Create button. 3. For a product baseline, check the radio button for Product Baseline and then set the Product Structure Type drop-down menu as needed. The checkbox Approve Physical Items if needed should be checked only if you wish to proceed without monitoring whether all physical items in the structure are in fact approved. 4. Click on the Create button. Figure 99: Baseline creation dialog Baselines appear as a topic in the Content pane. Expanding the topic, you should see that a new baseline with document status Current has been created. Previous baselines are flagged Historic. The baseline itself can now be called into the Content pane by clicking on its underlined reference number link. All baselines in the system are also accessible in a tree structure from the Document navigator, with child documents listed under the Structure topic. Note: A Product baseline is created as an unapproved document, to allow editing before final approval. Item List Management Item Lists are also a topic in the Content pane of a physical item. By exposing the full list of child items, you can inspect each individual item by clicking on its underlined Item No. To create a physical item list: 1. Click on the Create Physical Item List icon or link in the Task pane. A dialog (Figure 100) is displayed. page 78 D rev 2.0, aug 10

85 Physical Item Management in eb eb Web 2. Set the Item List type drop-down menu as required. 3. Click on the Create button. Figure 100: Physical Item List dialog Serialized Item List Management Serialized item lists are managed the same as individual item lists. Creating a New Physical Item New physical items in eb Web can only be created from an existing template. To create a new physical item: 1. In the Navigation pane, select the Add Object button. 2. Expand the Items folder, and then the Templates folder one level down. 3. Select the template to be used for the new item. The template format is displayed in the Content pane. 4. Click on the Create instance icon or link in the task pane. A complete item definition form, similar to the edit form in Figure 98, is displayed. 5. Complete all necessary information and click on the Update or Update and Close button. D rev 2.0, aug 10 page 79