Element Definitions

• Overview
• General Settings tab
• Field Settings tab
• Numbering tab
• Status Options tab
• Child Elements tab
• Reports tab
• Contact Associations tab
• Security tab
• Dates & Times tab
• Custom Fields tab
• Search Options Tab

Overview

The Element Definitions page is used for managing elements within your system. It is accessed by selecting the  Main Menu, choosing the  Projects menu, and clicking Element Definitions.

By default, your system will include several definition class varieties that should fit your needs but you can add as many as you'd like. 

There are several settings that can be adjusted that pertain to each element definition, like making fields required, adjusting caption names, managing security settings, and much more.

General Settings Tab

The General Settings tab is used for managing the higher-level settings of an element definition. For example, the Name of the element, move/copy enabled, selecting the workflow, etc. 

Field Settings Tab

The Field Settings tab will allow you to enable certain fields within the element definition. You can also set these fields to inherit or allow them to be overridden. 

Numbering Tab

The Numbering tab is used for determining the numbering behavior of the element definition and where you will set the numbering scheme. When selecting a sequential by year numbering scheme, the following fields will be present:

• Sequential By Year Start Sequence: This is the value that will be used when starting a new year. By default, this is value is "0".
• Sequential By Year Sequence: Depending on the selected numbering scheme, you will see a button named "Edit Sequences" or "Edit Common Pool Sequences". When selecting either option, you will receive a popup and will be able to edit the sequence for each year listed. Keep in mind, you will only be able to edit sequences for a year after at least one element has been created for that year. All changes are saved after clicking out of the sequence field or selecting the Enter/Tab key. You can not go backwards in sequence. Changes here are permanent and cannot be undone.
  • If you type a number in the sequence field by mistake, before clicking out or pressing the Enter/Tab key, you can select the esc key to revert the changes.

Status Options Tab

On the Status Options tab, you can adjust settings that affect how Status Options can be applied to the element, as well as which Status Options are permitted for the element. A permitted status will determine what statuses are visible in Calendar Settings > Element Types, Element Definitions > Search Options, and Element Definition > Reports Tab > Definition Level Reports. Settings made here will control how elements are displayed, categorized, and reported. 

Child Elements Tab

The Child Elements tab will determine which elements can be added as a child element. Once enabled, you will be able to see those options within  Add Child Elements on the workbench menu of the element. For example, you might add a "Document" to a Task.

Reports Tab

The Reports tab can be used to manage reports related to the element. This is where you can build a "report stack" (Default Print Format Report) that is linked to the Generate PDF option within Reports on the workbench menu of the element.

To customize the Default Print Format Report:

1. Click the  Add New Reports icon.
2. Select a Report, Corporate Identity, and Location.
   • The Sub-Report field will only be used when selecting a Sub-report Aggregation report.

The Default Element Level Report setting is specifically used for Aggregation reports and will determine which report is selected by default.

The Element Level Reports will determine which reports populate within Reports on the workbench menu of the element. The Definition Level Reports will determine which reports populate within the Reports menu, located on the Main Menu.

Contact Associations Tab

The Contact Associations tab is where you will manage contact and location fields related to the element. For example, you can enable rows such as Responsible Person (often known as the Account Manager), Corporate Identity, Business Location, etc.

You can set the row(s) to be required, inherited, or determine if the field can be overridden. After a row is enabled, the caption will automatically populate but you can click into the Caption field to manually adjust it. Some rows also provide a "User Default" option. When that is set to yes and the row is enabled, the user's name will automatically populate in that field when creating a new element. 

Located at the bottom of the tab are the Default Business Location and Default Corporate Identity settings. When that is set, the element will automatically populate the selected option in the Business Location or Corporate Identity fields when creating a new element.

Security Tab

The Security tab will allow you to change the individual security settings per element. By default, no security restrictions are in place and all security groups will be set to "Grant". For simplicity, a column that has no restrictions set will appear blank. Once a security group is manually set to "Deny", the rest of the groups will then show as "Grant". For example, if a User should not be allowed to edit Tasks, you would set the Edit column to "Deny" and all other security groups will automatically be set to "Grant". Any user(s) that are a part of the User security group will not be allowed to edit Quotes.

• View: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to view the element.
• Edit: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to edit the element.
• Associated View: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to view the element unless their default corporate identity matches the element's, or they are the person responsible. If no corporate identity is set on the element, they will not be able to view it.
• Associated Edit: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to edit the element unless their default corporate identity matches the element's, or they are the person responsible. If no corporate identity is set on the element, they will not be able to edit it.
• Non-Responsible Person View: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to view the element unless they are the "Responsible Person".
• Non-Responsible Person Edit: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to edit the element unless they are the "Responsible Person".
• Alternative Corp. ID View: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to view the element unless their user's default corporate identity matches the element's. However, if the element does not have a Corporate ID set, there are no restrictions. 
• Alternative Corp. ID Edit: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to edit the element unless their user's default corporate identity matches the element's. However, if the element does not have a Corporate ID set, there are no restrictions. 

Dates & Times Tab

As the name suggests, the Dates & Times tab is where you will manage dates and times related to the element. The End date field is important for determining the Due Date of the Task and is visible on the To-Do List. Though it is not required, enabling the time field is also useful. You can set a default time and it will automatically populate when creating a new element.

When the Auto Populate Child Dates setting is yes, any child element that is added will automatically inherit the dates from the element. For example, when adding a Document as a child element to the Task, the Document will inherit the Task's dates and/or times when Auto Populate Child Dates is set to yes within the Quote element.

When the Dates Inherited setting is yes, any element of this type will automatically inherit the dates from the element. This will apply if the element is created via workflow or added as a child element. After the dates are inherited, a lock will be present beside the date fields letting you know what document they have been inherited from. 

Custom Fields tab

The Custom Fields tab is where you will add new fields to an element, that the system does not currently offer as an option.

To add a new custom field, you'll need the following information:

• Caption: The name of the field and how it will appear on the element.
• Field Type: The type of field. For example, if you want it to be a free entry field, you will select "Text" or "Text Area". If this is a date field, you will select "Date" or "Date/Time". If the custom field is no longer in use, select "Disabled". 
• Required: When set to "Yes", an option will be required within this field.

Search Options Tab

The Search Options tab is where you will adjust the search columns related to the element. Once a Menu option is selected in the General Settings tab, you can navigate to that menu and view all of the elements within your system.

By default, the menu will provide search columns such as Name, Start By, Status, etc. However, you can adjust these columns to your company's needs. For example, if you have multiple business locations, you may want to add the "Business Location" field type so you can filter and only view elements that have that location selected.

To adjust the Search Options:

1. Click the  Add a new Option row icon.
2. Enter a caption and select a Field Type (you can scroll through the list or type in keywords to narrow down the list). 
   • If the Field Type is a date field, you can select a Format Mask.

NOTE: Once added, you can reorder the rows by dragging and dropping them.