ERPGeneralFunctionality
General Functionalities
System access
Analyticom ERP is an internet-based application, which means that it can be accessed by anyone, anywhere and anytime. The system is available 24h per day, 365 days per year. The only prerequisites for access are internet connection and assigned credentials (username and password). All data, user configurations and processes are stored in one location, on the ERP servers. New records or changes to existing records are immediately visible to all other users of the system, based on their level of access. The system is accessed through any common web browser. However, we recommend Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. No other software installation is required on your computer. After opening the browser, you need to:
- go to the following address: http://erp/
- enter your username and password
Login screen
Login screen is the first screen that appears after the user enters http://erp Every ERP user needs to be authorized, which means that every user has to have their own valid username & password combination. User credentials for new users will be provided in the form of an email sent by the Analyticom ERP System Administrator. Each user must have a valid and unique email address. Otherwise the System Administrator will not be able to send him/her the username & password combination or other important messages.
The username and password are sole and non-transferable property of the person who accesses the system. In fact, each person is responsible for all actions performed under their username. If someone forgets a password, the System Administrator can assign him/her a new one.
User roles and permissions
Users in the system are organized by roles. Every user can have one or more roles. Users can view their assigned roles by clicking on the “User settings” menu at the top. Roles are granted to users by the System Administrator.
Every role has a set of permissions that allow specific actions. A person with multiple roles will essentially have a union of all individual permissions. Role of Administrator has a full set of permissions, while all other roles have different subsets of permissions. If the user has no authority to execute an action because of his/her role, the system will generate the following message: "You are not allowed to execute this action! “ The Analyticom ERP System Administrator is in charge of administration of users and roles.
User interface
User interface is the collection of forms, controls, menus, and graphical elements that visually present the information stored in the system and allow users to manipulate that information. ERP interface has the following components:
- Left main menu (primary navigation bar) – all business process functionalities associated with active modules of the ERP system are available on the left side menu (see Selection A).
- Application Header - top section of the screen which never changes, contains a few pieces of information and images that identify the user & the organization; also shows “Top menu. (see Selection B)
- Top menu (user shortcuts) – other functionalities associated with user settings are available on the top menu (see Selection C).
- Central display & input area – this is the largest area on the screen where the user enters, searches, views and edits the available information; the system uses standard interface controls such as: labels, text boxes, drop-down lists, option buttons, data lists, etc. (see Selection D).
- Export task list- you can obtain a list by a single click on one of the icons in the right corner of the task table (in PDF or Excel, see selection E).
On the left side of the page header you'll notice the company logo, while the right side displays some general information about the user.
Quick Search box
At the top of the page, adjacent to the logo (see below), the system provides “quick search” capability. User can search for any entity by typing its name in the search box (e.g. first and last name of a person, name of a club, a stadium or associations, etc.) and access the complete record with a single mouse-click.
User settings
User settings are accessible from the menu on the top right side of your screen. On the "User settings" screen (see image below) each user is able to configure and consult the following:
- change password (see Selection A)
- change pin (see Selection B)
- change contact phone number and email address (see Selection C)
- enable or disable dock/stack menu (see Selection D)
- change the “look and feel” or theme of the screens and a change current (working) language (see Selection D)
- upload or change user's photo (see Selection E)
- view user info (user; organization; parent organization; user roles; see Selection F)
- set up your own Quick menu by using arrows (see Section G)
User settings are stored in the system database and apply upon user login.
Logout
When you have finished your work, you may exit the system by clicking on "Logout" at the top right of the screen. For security reasons, if the user is inactive for more than 30 minutes, he/she will be logged out automatically. In order to continue working in the system, the user will have to login again.
Standard manipulation of data
Some features are almost identical for different objects (entities). For example, the system has the functionality for entering a new entity (e.g. add a new partner to the database), for modifying an existing entity (e.g. changing the name of an item) or searching for existing entities by specific search criteria (e.g. search for all partners from Croatia). Procedure for accessing these three common database functions (create, search, edit) is standardized. Once the user learns how to work with one type of entity (e.g. partner), he/she will have learned the basic principles of the application. In the sections that follow, we have provided additional descriptions of the three most-commonly-used system functions.
Create new entity
It is often the case that the user needs to add a new entity into the database, whether it is a partner, an item, or a document. The standardized form which allows the user to create a new entity will consists of:
- required fields (marked with bolded labels)
- optional fields (which may be left empty)
- buttons for Saving your new entry, or Cancelling the data input mode
- buttons for Resetting (clearing) the form and accessing the Search screen (which also cancels ‘data input’ mode)
As an example, image below shows the model with the entry of a new partner.
If an user tries to save data, and did not fill out all the required fields, the system will generate an appropriate message. If the user enters inconsistent data (e.g. instead of a valid date, the user enters text), the system will generate an alert and prevent the wrong entry.
If all the fields are correctly entered and the user clicks the “Save” button, the system inserts the new record into the database and generates a confirmation message: “The transaction is successfully executed.”
Search for an existing entity
When you click on the search function under any category listed on the left menu, you will notice that a search form is very similar to the new entry form. In this case, the data you enter in the fields shown on the form will be processed as database search criteria. Any single field or a combination of fields can be used as criteria for the search. For example, on the form for searching partners, if we enter "Karlovac" for city, by clicking on "Search" we will get all the partners located in Karlovac.
Search criteria | Result of searching |
---|---|
Name (of partner)=Analyticom | All clubs named «Analyticom» |
City=Zagreb | All partners from City of «Zagreb» |
Name=A* | All partners whose name begins with the letter «A» |
Name=*partner* | All clubs whose name contains «partner» |
Note: You may use wildcard characters in your search criteria: * replaces any arbitrary string, while _ replaces one character. Table 1 shows some examples of the search of partners.
When the user enters all desired search criteria and clicks on the “Search” button, the results of the search are displayed as a pop-up list of data. Depending on how many entities satisfy the search criteria, the list may look a little different:
- If no entities meet the criteria, the list shows empty with a note: “No records found.”
- If the search returns less than 10 results, all records are displayed on one page.
- If the search returns more than 10 results, the list displays the first 10 and the rest can be viewed by using the paging tools on the bottom of the data list.
Once you find the entity you are looking for, click on its row in the data list and the full record will display on your screen for further review or editing. Techniques described above can be applied for all other types of entities in the system: partners, items, documents, etc.
Modify an existing entity
In order to modify an existing entry, the user must follow these steps:
- Find and open the object. (See Error! Reference source not found.)
- Click "Edit" to start changing data.
- Click "Save" to store your changes to the database or “Cancel” to discard any changes and restore original data.
One simple example would be to change the partner’s city:
- On the left menu, choose “Partners” then click on “Search partners”. Enter "Analyticom*” as the name, click on “Search”, and then select the partner from the list.
- Click on the "Edit" button and enter "Zagreb" for "City".
- Click on the “Save" button.
If all data is valid and user has permission to make changes to this entity, the system informs the user that the transaction has been successfully completed. Otherwise, the system may generate some type of an error message or a warning message.
Data List
There are many places in the application where we use data lists to display search results or present the list of possible values. For example, image below shows results of searching for partners. You may notice that a list has a title at the top, a name of each column of data, text boxes for typing additional selection criteria and then a list of records. A list displays at most 10 records per page and it provides a paging tool at the bottom for clicking through multiple pages.
Every data list can be: sorted in ascending or descending order by clicking on the column name at the top (see Selection A); filtered by entering additional criteria in the filter fields at the top (see Selection B); and exported to several standard document types (see Selection C).
Upload documents for an entity
Many entities in the system may require additional documents to be attached to the record, i.e. photos, logos, contracts, etc. On the detail form of an entity, you may find a "Documents" button. By clicking on this button, the user may upload one of more files for the selected entity. Some document types are predefined and the rest can be uploaded as “Other. Uploaded documents can later be viewed and downloaded by other users, if their role allows it. To download a document use the save icon next to the file name. To delete a document use the X icon at the end of the row.
Note: The ability to view, upload or download documents depends on user's roles.
Changing status of an entity
Each entity in the system (e.g. partner, item or document) has its own defined workflow which follows the rules of the organization. These rules take each entity though one or more steps and statuses. For example, a partner can be ACTIVE or INACTIVE, a RFP document on the other hand, goes through many status changes such as DOCUMENT ENTERED, RFP CONFIRMED, PENDING SELECTION, SUPPLIER SELECTED, CANCELED etc. The procedure for changing status of an entity is essentially the same as “Error! Reference source not found.”. After opening the selected entity and choosing to edit the record, the user may change the status of the entity by clicking on the available status button. Depending on the configuration of the system (based on client’s requirements), user will have to enter a reason for changing the status and confirm his/her selection.
Note: The ability to change the status of an entity depends on user's roles.
This system has an audit function which tracks status changes for each entity. If you wish to view this information, open the "Status Log” tab of the selected entity.
Ease of use features
As you begin to use ERP on regular basis, you will notice certain features especially designed to improve efficiency and ease of use. Some of these features are more obvious than others, so let’s take a look at the list:
- Auto-complete feature for names of countries (e.g. when you start to type “Ita” for name of the country, system generates a list of available options)
- Auto-format feature for names (e.g. automatically changes lower case to capital letters)
- Selecting common options by default (e.g. status = active)
- Menus and tools arranged by usage & grouped logically
- User customization features (e.g. language, colors, toolbars)
- Drag & drop file upload for Documents
- Photo capture & crop option, for devices with an active webcam
- Google maps plug-in for addresses
- Access via mobile devices (tablets & some smartphones)