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Forward Welcome to Tactical Analysis and Briefing System (TABS). We hope you to find this software integral to coordinating and directing your company in its endeavors. This manual is written in a simple format to allow for quick reference to subjects via the Table of Contents. While reading it cover to cover will give a more in depth perspective to the ins and outs and vast capabilities of TABS. In addition, there are video tutorials posted on the TABS website (www.tab system.net). TABS is a program that excels in three areas: Tasking, Tracking, and Reporting. The program already has a comprehensive and intuitive interface that will allow you to task your employees and allow them to automatically respond with status and location. The reporting system requires a little customization for each individual organization. This manual will be built into five major sections: Introduction, Dispatching, Reporting, Report Building, and Administration. It covers both the use of the browser and the mobile application. Enjoy and thank you for purchasing TABS. 2
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Contents Introduction... 5 Logging In... 5 Dashboard... 7 Dispatching and Scheduling... 8 Viewing the Schedule... 8 Shifts... 10 Issuing a Dispatch... 12 Accepting a Dispatch... 13 Calling the Point of Contact... 18 Getting Directions... 18 Other Time Type Selecting... 19 Time Clock... 22 User Location Map... 23 Reporting... 23 Manage Reports... 24 Taking a Picture... 25 Report Building... 26 TABS Report Definition... 26 TABs Custom Report Building... 27 Attaching Media to Reports... 38 Administration... 39 Manage News... 39 Users/Groups... 40 Dispatch Types... 42 Dispatch Status... 43 Other Times Types... 43 References... 44 Locations... 44 Permissions... 44 Time Clock Search... 45 Time Clock Summary... 46 Media Search... 46 Import/Export... 47 4
Introduction In this section we will be going over general operations of the TABS program, to include logging in and navigation for both the web browser and the mobile application. Web Browser: To Log in, open your web browser, such as Internet Explorer, navigate to www.tab system.net and enter the username and password in the appropriate dialogue boxes. There is a link on the log in page that allows download of the mobile app, and another link to retrieve a forgotten password. Also from the browser login page is a link to download the most recent mobile application. In order to install it on your smart phone, simply navigate to secure.tab system.net and click Download the app The first screen upon logging in via the web browser you encounter is the Dashboard. 5
Mobile Application: To Log, in open the application from the home screen of your smart phone. Select the in the bottom right corner of the screen. Select Settings and enter your Username, Password, and Device ID before selecting the back arrow to navigate to the first screen which is the Dashboard. 6
Web Browser: Once logged in, notice the five blue boxes that read Dispatch, News, Program Information, My Reports, and My Activity. News can be customized by system administrators to display announcements, alerts, and other pertinent information. Program Information has your supervisors contact information. My Reports displays reports you have submitted and each report has an Edit, Delete, and Complete button. Complete allows you to finalize your documents and submit them for review by your supervisor. My Activity lists your work log including self initiated and dispatched activities. Mobile Application: The mobile application dashboard is the main screen of the application. Each dispatch contains location, contact, and notes. At the bottom of the screen you are given four options; get directions, place a call, begin a mobile report, or capture/retrieve media such as pictures. 7
Dispatching and Scheduling Web Browser: There are two ways of viewing the schedule. If you are a supervisor, you can view the overall schedule for the week by selecting Dispatch Schedule. The screen will look like the following: The grid will display the workers and their scheduled tasks for the week. You can schedule a task by selecting the day of the week and the following dialogue box will open: Simply fill out the information and select the submit button. The scheduled task will appear on the calendar. 8
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If you are an employee and wish to see your schedule, select Dashboard Schedule. The following screen will list the upcoming tasks you have been assigned. A shift constitutes a preplanned scheduled event of any duration which an employee can be assigned to. An example of this would be having four employees to fulfill a customer service role from 9:00 17:00. Web Browser: In order to build a reoccurring shift, go to Administration Schedule Shift Builder. Select the reference, location, start time, duration, and days of the week. The reference name will allow you to identify the shift later. 10
By using the assign shifts screen, you will see displayed all the predefined shifts you have entered in the Shift Builder screen and denote an employee to each shift. Navigate to Administration Schedule Assign Shifts The current date is displayed by default. The arrows or calendar icon allow you to view both future or past dates. This will allow you to easily assign shift work that is reoccuring as opposed to assigning each user individually each day. If you require a special shift on any day you may add it at the bottom of the gridview, enter a custom reference location, user start time and duration. The shift will only be for that one day and will not reoccur. 11
Web Browser: From the dashboard, select Dispatch Schedule/Day. The Schedule/Day page displays self initiated tasks, dispatched tasks, and an employee s current and historical, status and location. To add a new dispatch, simply select the area of the grid that intersects between the employee you want to task and the time the task needs to take place. A dialogue box will open. TABS offers several options for browsing and organizing the employees on the dispatch page. By selecting the buttons over the column with the employee name you can toggle between different views. The clock icon 12
prioritizes showing employees that are online, online to top, and an all users view. The other buttons refresh and scroll through the time interval. The TABS program allows you to operate from both web terminal or mobile device. You can accept dispatches from either of these mediums. Web Browser: Browse to Dashboard >Summary. The Dispatch window displays tasks that you have been assigned. To accept a task, simply select it and a new dialogue box will open. The dispatch page will includes a point of contact, address, instructions or notes for the task. Select the Clock In button to begin the task. By default your Activity will set to enroute. Select the Activity button and update status type to the appropriate selection. 13
A list of Reports will display at the bottom of the dialogue box. This list is a series of reports that may be required or relate to your task. Selecting the Status button allows you to report a series of predetermined status codes by your organization to keep supervisors informed. From the Dispatch screen a supervisor or dispatcher can accept the task for you by right clicking on the dispatch. This is useful if you are unable to accept a dispatch while mobile due to equipment malfunction or poor service. 14
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Mobile Application: On the Dashboard a list of tasks you have been assigned will be present. Select one of these tasks and all of the information you need are displayed including address, point of contact at job location, and instructions. Select the Clock In button to begin. 16
The Activity button has two options. Your Activity will default to En Route or you may select activity to update Activity to Arrived. The status button allows you to set status of job or task such as Complete, or Incomplete. These statuses are defined by your supervisor. 17
Select the Phone button at the bottom of the screen on the Dashboard to call the point of contact at the job you are currently clocked in to. This will only work if the dispatcher has included a point of contact in the dispatch information. Select the Map button at the bottom left side of the Dashboard in order to open Google Maps navigation to the job location. 18
Web Browser: Upon login your current activity will be displayed in the upper right hand corner. From the Dashboard Summary, select the three vertical dots in the upper right hand side of the screen. A series of activates will be displayed: 19
Select an activity and a new dialogue box will open: There is a Quicklink button under each text box that will allow you to choose predetermined responses setup by your supervisor. If none of those responses apply fill out the reference, locations, and notes section and click Save. It will be displayed to your supervisor as your current status. 20
Mobile Application: Select the three vertical dots on the dashboard to view the Other Time selection screen. Select the various self initialed tasks for periods when you are not specifically dispatched to a job. You can also go off the clock from the Other Time screen by selecting Off Duty. 21
All self initiated and dispatched time is logged in TABs Time Clock feature and is used by supervisors or HR for review and tracking. To view the Time Clock, go to Analysis Time Clock. There will be several options that you can use to view the data statistics. Time Clock Detail allows you to view and browse individual employee time clock information by date, time, and task. The screen looks like this: Time Clock Summary condenses all employees by activity for a set date range. The screen looks like this: 22
The User Location Map displays visually real time and historic employee statistics including, Activity, Location, Accuracy, and Speed. It allows for both street view and satellite overlays. Reporting Web Browser: To begin a new report go to Dashboard Add Report. This section allows you to begin a new report, as each report your organization utilizes will be listed on this page. Simply select the report you want to start, fill it out, and save or submit it. To manage pre existing reports, click Existing Records. Select the link under Screen Name to begin new report. Select Existing Records to edit a previous report. 23
To Manage Reports, go to Dashboard Manage Reports. This section will list the reports you have already started or submitted and allow you to either Edit or Delete them. Mobile Application: Select the pencil icon at the bottom of the Dashboard to begin writing a report. Select the correct report from those listed and begin filling it out. You also have the option of clicking Existing Reports to edit previously entered records. Upon selecting Done or Complete the report is immediately available to your supervisor. 24
Mobile App: Select the camera button at the bottom of the Dashboard. Using your smart phone s camera, simply take and accept a picture. Once accepted, it will be tagged with a reference number, saved to the database, and uploaded to be available to authorized parties. 25
Report Building In TABS there are several definitions used by TABS that must be understood in order to create efficient reports: Screens: TABs uses the term Screens to represent thought of as an entire paper form that awaits data. Each screen needs an individual title and is comprised of sections TABs defines as Locations. For example, Employment Application Locations: Locations are the sub sections a paper form would be naturally divided into. For example, a commonly found subsection of many job applications requests experience information from the user. One Location may be called Prior Experience. Locations contain Objects. Objects: TABs defines Objects as the information that the form needs to collect. An example of an Object in Prior Experience would be Work History or Volunteer Work. Objects are made up of Attributes. Attributes: Attributes are features of the Object. For example Attributes of the Object Work History would be company name, company address, and position held. Attribute Options: Enter any value or choose from pre defined options for the Attribute. An example for position held may be CEO, Vice President, or Manager. 26
In this section we will walk you through building your own form in TABs. Let s use a Hotel Reservation form as an example: As you can see, this form has fields for data such as Name, Check in Date, Number of Adults, etc. To begin building a report form we start by building a new Screen. From the dashboard select Administration Entry Builder Screens 27
Here you will see a list of Screens that have already been created and a dialogue box at the bottom of the list to add a new Screen to the list. Let s put Test Registration Form in the dialog box and select Add. The screen has nothing in the Locations column so it will be blank. To add a Location, select the (0) in the Locations column. Because the example asks for User Information, let s use Personal Information as the Location. In the dialogue box type Personal Information and click the Add button. Now the Personal Information Location is on top of the screen. As you add additional Locations you are able to move them up and down on the screen by utilizing the UP and DOWN links under the Actions column. This will change the order the Locations are displayed on the Screen. 28
Now the Location Personal Information has been created but has no Objects attached to it. These Objects will be First Name, Last Name, and Address. In order to add or remove Objects from a Location, select the (0) in the Objects column next to the Location you prefer to modify. In the case of Objects, TABs pulls from a preexisting list in order to add them to a location. This is to ensure consistency of data amid multiple reports. In the dialogue box, do a search for the object Name. As you can see, there are no results. We ll have to add one to the database. Go to Administration Entry Builder Objects At the bottom of the screen you ll see a dialog box. Type Name to the box and click the Add button. You have now created an Object. 29
After adding the Object name to the database, it appears on the list. The Object needs to have Attributes. In the case of our example, a Name needs Attributes like First Name and Last Name. As with assigning other values in TABs, select the (0) under the Attributes column. In the same manner in which you assigned Objects to a Location earlier, TABs will ask you to assign predefined Attributes. In this case, the Attributes First Name and Last Name already exist. Query the database, select First Name before selecting Add. Do the same with Last Name. Now let s view the result. Go to Entry Builder Choose Screen. 30
Select the Test Registration Form. As you can see, we ve added our first field for data entry. Once you add a value the first time, all subsequent times will be much faster. Let s add the other values: Using this same method, let s add the other fields in the example form. Below I have added Phone, Email, and Address following the same technique. 31
That is the Personal Information Location finished. Now we need to add the next Location which has includes Check in and Check out date and time. We ll call this Location Reservation Information. Add an Object for Check In information: Attach a Check in Time Attribute to the Check in object. We ll also add a Check in Date Attribute later. In this instance, we want to add a drop down list that has each of the possible check in times, rather than a free form text box. To do this, select the (0) under the Options column in the Check in Time Attribute row. In the Attribute Options page, begin adding the options you want to include in the drop down menu. 32
In this case we ll be using each of the 24 hours in each day. Save all of your options and view the screen. Notice the Check In drop down menu has been added. Next we will add a calendar option for the Check In date. Go to the Attributes editor and add a new Attribute called Check in date. 33
Before completing this Attribute, select the type column and make it a Date type Attribute. Add this Attribute to the Check in Object: View the form. Notice that the field now contains a date selecting option. 34
Let s add the same information for the Check out section: Now let s add the list for the number of adults and children for the reservation. We do this the same way we added the drop bars for the Check in and Check out times. Earlier I used the Attribute type Number for adding the Phone object when asked for the subject s contact number. Keep in mind, any modifications to Attributes will populate throughout ALL SCREENS that make use of that exact Attribute name. This is the same for Objects. If you do not wish to modify pre existing forms, you can create a new similar name for your Attributes and Objects, but TABs will not allow duplicate naming. 35
In this case, we added a colon to the end of Number. Now there are two Attributes with similar names in the database, Number and Number: Make sure you use the correct one when modifying your screens! Lastly, we add a section for room preference. To do this, add another Object called Room Preference:. The Attribute we attach will be Type. At the Attribute edit screen, set the Allow Multiple value to Yes and then set the maximum value to 1. Add the options Standard, Deluxe, and Suite. 36
The form is complete! If in future forms you want the subject to have the ability to check multiple selections, simply increase the maximum multiple number at the Attribute screen. That completes how to build the reports in TABs. 37
To attach media, such as pictures or document files, this can be accomplished in TABS by adding an attribute that has the Upload type on the attribute builder. From your browser, you can see the Upload prompt you have created on your form. If you select the upload button, a dialogue box will prompt you upload a document. 38
Administration The Administration section is for customization of Screens, Objects, Attributes, Permissions, and other values. The Manage News page allows system administers to change what is displayed in the News section of the Dashboard for both mobile and web applications. The Date Range will allow you to view what news has been displayed between certain dates. To add new news, select the Add News link in the center of the screen. A dialogue box will open that allows you to add a title, start and end dates for the display of the news story, and the text box allows for the news to be added in text form. Ensure that you select the Published option to Yes to display your entry. 39
The Users/Groups section allows system administrators to add users and sub groups. Sub Groups are easy ways for the administrators to separate and organize large numbers of users into groups. To add a Sub Group, select the Add button under the Sub Groups section, add the group name and information requested for a point of contact for the group. The benefit in organizing users into sub groups is one or multiple supervisors may be assigned to each group, who have the ability to review or modify the data entry of others within that group. 40
To assign administration permissions, select the user and click the Make Administrator button. 41
Dispatch Types allows administrators to build predetermined categories for dispatching. For example, service calls, installations, or maintenance. 42
Dispatch Status is a predetermined list of outcomes for the dispatch tasks. These statuses are customizable by the organization. Other Times Types is a section that allows employees to self initiate work between being dispatched. These statuses are also customizable by the organization and allows for accurate accounting of all employee time billed to that organization. 43
References allow you to build the section that displays when clocking into a task. Administrators list pre identified codes, clients, or other values they want to classify time or media as. Locations, like References, allow you to build the options that display where your employees are most likely to clock in. Permissions is the location where administrators adjust what screens and objects each group and sub group is can access. 44
The Time Clock Search allows you to browse through employee Time Clock information by name or date. 45
The Time Clock Summary page will display records of employee activities by name, activities completed, their start/end times, and the total hours they spent on that task. Like the Time Clock Search, the Media Search allows you to search for media such as pictures, audio, and videos that have been uploaded into TABs. You can search by Date, Reference, the employee that uploaded it, and the media type. 46
This section allows you to export reports that have been created for your company. To do this, select Import/Export Custom Export. You ll be taken to this screen: 47