EB Web User Guide
EB Web User Guide
EB Web User Guide
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page ii
Table of Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................ 1
Logging on ............................................................................................................................ 1
page iii
Objects ............................................................................................................... 48
Searches .......................................................................................... 49
Search result reporting ....................................................................................... 51
Preferences ...................................................................................... 53
Document Distribution......................................................................................................... 54
eB Web ............................................................................................................................... 54
File Options ......................................................................................................................... 54
Filters .................................................................................................................................. 55
Publish Options ................................................................................................................... 55
Search Options ................................................................................................................... 55
System Default.................................................................................................................... 55
page iv
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 .................................................................................................. 10
Figure 10: SharePoint document in the Content pane .............................................................................. 10
Figure 11: Synchronization behaviors ....................................................................................................... 11
Figure 12: Add to SharePoint dialog.......................................................................................................... 11
Figure 13: Bulk transaction preferences dialog ......................................................................................... 13
Figure 14: Bulk import/export job listing .................................................................................................... 14
Figure 15: Publisher package wizard, step 1............................................................................................. 14
Figure 16: Publisher package wizard, step 2............................................................................................. 15
Figure 17: Publisher package wizard, step 3............................................................................................. 15
Figure 18: Publisher package wizard, step 4............................................................................................. 16
Figure 19: Set of publisher packages ........................................................................................................ 16
Figure 20: Publisher package detail sheet ................................................................................................ 17
Figure 21: Publisher package selector ...................................................................................................... 17
Figure 22: Example of a basket................................................................................................................. 18
Figure 23: Start of the document distribution wizard ................................................................................. 19
Figure 24: Adding a data object to ‘My eB’................................................................................................ 20
Figure 25: Example of document history ................................................................................................... 21
Figure 26: File actions context pop-up ...................................................................................................... 22
Figure 27: The document checkout dialog ................................................................................................ 23
Figure 28: Example of the ‘lock’ icon beside a checked-out document..................................................... 23
Figure 29: Options in the document rendition dialog ................................................................................. 24
Figure 30: Example document detail edit form .......................................................................................... 25
Figure 31: Example document structure edit form..................................................................................... 26
Figure 32: The Copy Document dialog, Options tab ................................................................................. 26
Figure 33: The Copy Document dialog, Relationships tab ........................................................................ 27
Figure 34: The Copy Document dialog, Files & Copies tab....................................................................... 27
Figure 35: Conformation that a document was copied .............................................................................. 28
Figure 36: Document delete warning......................................................................................................... 28
Figure 37: Setup for adding a folder at root............................................................................................... 29
Figure 38: Creating a folder at root............................................................................................................ 29
Figure 39: Example template for a vendor ................................................................................................ 30
Figure 40: Template for new document..................................................................................................... 31
Figure 41: Part of the new data object detail sheet ................................................................................... 32
Figure 42: The document create dialog..................................................................................................... 33
Figure 43: The project create dialog.......................................................................................................... 34
Figure 44: The person create dialog.......................................................................................................... 34
Figure 45: The organization create dialog ................................................................................................. 35
Figure 46: The location create dialog ........................................................................................................ 35
Figure 47: Location object showing child locations ................................................................................... 36
Figure 48: E-mail window at start .............................................................................................................. 37
Figure 49: Example of e-mail recipient list................................................................................................. 38
page v
Figure 50: Subscription options wizard, screen 1...................................................................................... 38
Figure 51: Subscription options wizard, screen 2...................................................................................... 39
Figure 52: Object comparer....................................................................................................................... 39
Figure 53: Quicklink URL generator .......................................................................................................... 40
Figure 54: Work order creator ................................................................................................................... 41
Figure 55: Work order created................................................................................................................... 41
Figure 56: Typical reports menu................................................................................................................ 42
Figure 57: User-defined reports -- Info and Task panes............................................................................ 42
Figure 58: User-defined report display ...................................................................................................... 43
Figure 59: Reporting wizard page 1: Report Type..................................................................................... 44
Figure 60: Reporting wizard page 2: Criteria (blank)................................................................................. 44
Figure 61: Reporting wizard page 2: Twin drop-down lists........................................................................ 45
Figure 62: Effective date criterion completed ............................................................................................ 45
Figure 63: Reporting wizard page 3: Columns .......................................................................................... 46
Figure 64: Reporting wizard page 4: Column Ordering ............................................................................. 47
Figure 65: Reporting wizard page 5: Format/Execute ............................................................................. 47
Figure 66: Example of finished report........................................................................................................ 48
Figure 67: Example of an eB system object presentation ......................................................................... 48
Figure 68: Document search options......................................................................................................... 49
Figure 69: Search results table (partial) .................................................................................................... 50
Figure 70: Search object type selector ...................................................................................................... 50
Figure 71: Preference Editor, unexpanded................................................................................................ 53
Figure 72: Sample of part of an ‘about’ window ........................................................................................ 54
Figure 73: Filter preferences dialog........................................................................................................... 55
Figure 74: Unexpanded work exchange tree............................................................................................. 57
Figure 75: A work order in progress .......................................................................................................... 58
Figure 76: E-mail notification of an incoming task ..................................................................................... 59
Figure 77: Forthcoming task folder, expanded .......................................................................................... 59
Figure 78: Typical forthcoming task details ............................................................................................... 59
Figure 79: Task pane options for forthcoming work .................................................................................. 60
Figure 80: Summary table of inbox tasks .................................................................................................. 60
Figure 81: The ‘Delegate Task’ dialog....................................................................................................... 61
Figure 82: Edit screen of a change-controlled object ................................................................................ 63
Figure 83: Change request icon/link.......................................................................................................... 64
Figure 84: Required fields in a change request form................................................................................. 64
Figure 85: Example of an Affected Document........................................................................................... 65
Figure 86: Part of a change request navigator .......................................................................................... 65
Figure 87: Dialog for recording a status change........................................................................................ 67
Figure 88: Example change effects analysis report................................................................................... 68
Figure 89: Object selection dialog ............................................................................................................. 69
Figure 90: Implement change request, Affected C/R tab .......................................................................... 69
Figure 91: Implement change request, Properties tab .............................................................................. 70
Figure 92: Implement change request, Relationships tab ......................................................................... 70
Figure 93: Implement change request, File & Copies tab ......................................................................... 71
Figure 94: Copy Change Request dialog, Properties tab .......................................................................... 72
Figure 95: Copy Change Request dialog, Relationships tab..................................................................... 72
Figure 96: The Physical item explorer ....................................................................................................... 75
Figure 97: Typical physical item detail sheet............................................................................................. 76
Figure 98: Physical item edit form ............................................................................................................. 77
Figure 99: Baseline creation dialog ........................................................................................................... 78
Figure 100: Physical Item List dialog......................................................................................................... 79
page vi
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 dis-
play and control eB Web, but Microsoft Explorer 8 is recommended. Java must be enabled for some func-
tions, 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 uti-
lized 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 com-
pany 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.
The user name is forced to upper case, and the password is case sensitive. There is a checkbox for remem-
bering 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
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.
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.
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.
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 posi-
tion, 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.
The Task pane is not always present. If only a few tasks are possible in the context of what you are display-
ing, links to them may be offered at the top of the Content pane.
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.
System reports
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 par-
ent 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.
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 explor-
ers. 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 permis-
sion for appear in the Task pane. An example is shown below.
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 docu-
ments 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, custom-
ers, 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.
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.’
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.
SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint is a collaborative environment for information exchange and document manage-
ment, 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 hierar-
chies.
For installation instructions, plase refer to D001105: “eB for SharePoint Installation & Admin Guide” start-
ing on page 2.
The web client provides an update on the status of the job after its request to the SharePoint server is sub-
mitted 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 han-
dler.
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:
2. In the SharePoint tree, select the folder to which you want to add this document.
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 refer-
ences this eB item, all the links are available.
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 permis-
sion 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.
File Plans
File Plans are long-term document management schemes. A reference can be seen in D00475 eB Adminis-
tration 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.
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.
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.
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 distribu-
tion to non-users of eB and entities outside your enterprise.
Figures 15 through 18 show the four steps of the publisher package creation wizard.
Step 2 of the wizard offers retrieval options. For every type of eB object, topics to be retrieved may be
selected using checkboxes.
The purpose of Step 3 is allow exclusion of any attributes from the package. Transfer to the ‘Selected’ win-
dow all atributes you wish to include. If you leave the ‘Selected’ window empty, by default all attributes are
considered selected.
The final step is for setting output options — format, status, and file naming.
When you have created several packages, the Content pane can display them, as follows:
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:
A publisher package selector opens in the Content pane, listing your existing publisher packages. You also
have the option of creating a new package.
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.
Pull-downs
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 e-mail
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.
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.
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.
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:
File Transfer
You may wish to transfer a file to your local computer or workstation, and (so long as you have the neces-
sary 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
In the above dialog, the checkbox in line with the list header selects all documents in the list if there are
many.
Lock
Once a document is checked out by you, the option ‘Check in’ appears in the Task pane when that docu-
ment 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 make a copy:
1. Click on the ‘Copy’ link in Actions. A three-tab Copy Document dialog opens in a new window:
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.
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.
A confirmation is displayed.
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:
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.
The procedure is to simply click on the ‘Add Folder’ link in the Task pane. The Create Folder dialog opens:
Specify the data scope if not ‘Global,’ enter the name for the new folder and click on the ‘Add Folder >’ but-
ton.
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.
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 trian-
gle indicates a required field.
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.
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.
Every Location data object in eB may have any number of child locations.
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’ but-
ton at the bottom of the list.
There are many other editable topics associated with a Location object.
E-mail
You can send e-mail 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 e-mail attachment. In general, the option for this is present in the Actions section of
the Task pane.
You can also originate e-mail messages from your Basket, and place your frequent e-correspondents in the
Basket for easy retrieval.
Figure 48 shows the e-mail 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.
Option 1: Enter names and numbers -- As soon as you enter any text in the ‘Select’ box, an auto-com-
plete 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 recipi-
ent 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 syn-
tax 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.
Complete the Subject line and message body, then click on the ‘Send >’ button to send the mail and attach-
ment.
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.
2. Select one of the three radio buttons and click on the ‘Next >’ 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.
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.’
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 doc-
ument or e-mail message you may wish to prepare.
Details of the parameter set available for quicklinks are in D002097. Those accessible to eB Web are Mode
and Document Status. A dialog allows specification of these, which are then encoded in the quicklink.
The work order creator dialog opens, displaying all available templates for this object type.
If the work order is created successfully, you see confirmation and further options:
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 com-
plex. For example, the Record Management module reports are shown in the Figure.
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.
Note: ‘Create New Report’ is only offered in the Task pane for users having ‘New Object Instances >
Report’ permission.
Figure 58 shows display of a Purchase Requisition report, with user-defined column headers.
Note that the Task pane allows for Download, Edit, Save and Delete operations.
As usual, the % character is a wild-card. Entering ‘d%,’ for example, would filter for all reports whose
names began with the letter D.
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.
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 state-
ment is enough.
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 possi-
ble, check the ‘Show eQL Editor’ checkbox at upper left of Wizard Page 2. An edit pane opens up reve-
laing 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.
4. Optionally, enter any global class filter in the top edit box.
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.
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 oper-
ators 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.
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.
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.
12. Select the column headings you wish to include. Again, you may test your selection using the ‘Exe-
cute 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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Note that, in the Task pane, options for printing and downloading the results table are offered. The down-
load 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 e-mailing a
copy of the result list. The list may also be added to a folder or to your basket.
Figure 71 depicts the main part of the editor that displays in the Page pane. There is no Task pane.
Click on ‘About this Web Application’ to pop up an information window summarizing the parameters cur-
rently in force and listing your plug-ins. Part of this listing is shown below.
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 — address-
ees, 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.
Figure 73 shows the filter options, with the Status Filter expanded.
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
E-mail triggering is one typical option in this topic. Your administrator may have set up other options.
Figure 74 depicts a typical Work Exchange navigator, in its simplest form. The folders serve as work stor-
age 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 com-
pleted, 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 Dele-
gated folder until each one has been marked "Complete".
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.
Possible manipulations, exposed in the Task pane, are as shown in Figure 79.
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: Can-
cel 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.’
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 prog-
ress’ folder of the person originally assigned the task to mark as completed.
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.
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 pro-
cess.
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’ but-
ton. The change request form is now called into the Content pane, as illustrated in Figure 84 below.
Field Notes
Field Notes
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' top-
ics.
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.
Change requests may also be the subject of searches. Fields that may be searched on are Description, Num-
ber, 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.
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 Expedit-
ing a change request.
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.
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.
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.
The report may be hard-copy printed, using the link in the list header.
The ‘Implement’ and ‘Discard’ options need no explanation. ‘Carry over’ means to withhold implementa-
tion at this time but keep this item as part of the Change Request, with its current status.
The editable Change Request form is displayed in the Content pane. Make your edits and click on either
‘Save’ or ‘Save and Close.’
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.
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.
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 informa-
tion. Consider whether changing the Change Request’s status to ‘Cancelled’ might be more appropri-
ate.
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.
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.
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 contain-
ing this component.
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.
Phantom:
A phantom is a procured item that appears on a bill of materials but is not, or not yet, actually purchased.
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.
A Copy dialog is displayed in a separate window. Proceed as for other object copying (“Making a Copy of a
Document” on page 26.)
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.
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.
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.