Global Actions

Overview of Global Actions

The Global Actions section describes how to use features that are available in all business areas of the AASHTOWare Project system. You can access these features from any webpage in the system by clicking the Actions menu on the Menu bar.

Using Processes

You can execute several different types of processes in the system, including importing and exporting information and running custom processes.

Executing Processes

You can execute several different types of processes in the system, including importing and exporting information and running custom processes.

1. Click the global Actions button.

2. Click the Execute Process action.

3. Select the process to execute. -The system displays a list of all the data in the system that match your search criteria.

4. Select the data to include in the process, if applicable.

5. To schedule the process to run later, in the Settings field on the component subheader, click the drop-down arrow and select Schedule Process. Note that the steps to schedule a process are shown in the following section.

To set parameters for the process, in the Settings field on the component subheader, click the drop-down arrow and select Set Parameters.

6. Click the Execute button.

Scheduling a Process

By scheduling a process, you can set the system to automatically execute that process on a daily, weekly, monthly or a one-time basis. You can create a schedule for any process in the system.

1. From the Execute Process component, in the Settings field on the component subheader, click the drop-down arrow and select Schedule Process.

2. Click the Enable Scheduling check box.

3. In the Schedule Frequency field, click the drop-down arrow and select how often you want the process to run. Note that the fields that appear will vary depending on the chosen frequency.

4. Enter values into the fields as appropriate for the chosen frequency.

5. Click the Schedule button to save the new process schedule and continue to define the process to execute.

Viewing Process History

The Process History Overview component allows you to check on the status of all processes you are running at any time, including system and scheduled processes.

1. Click the global Actions menu.

2. Select the Open Process History action.

3. In the Quick Find search box, search for and select the process to view.

4. View the process history.

Viewing System Process History

The System Process History tab on the Process History Overview component allows you to view the status and output of system processes (processes executed automatically by the system).

1. From the Process History Overview component, click the SystemProcess History tab.

2. View the system process history.

Viewing Scheduled Processes

1. Click the Scheduled tab.

2. View the scheduled process history.

Viewing and Saving Process Output Files

1. Click the Process History tab.

2. For the appropriate process, click the Output Files link to view the output file.

3. Click the Save button.

4. Follow browser instructions to save the file.

Working with Attachments

Attachments provide an easy way to integrate outside information of various kinds into your project, proposal or any other system entity. Examples of the types of files you might attach include Microsoft® Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PDFs, URLs, digital photographs and other types of graphic files.

Attachments are accessed on any component by clicking the Actions button on a row or component header.

The Attachments Overview component contains a list of rows for all the files that have been attached to the entity by you or another user with your active role.

Attaching a File to a Row

1. Navigate to the component that contains the row to which you want to attach the file.

2. Click the component or row Actions button and select the Attachments view.

3. Click the Select File button.

4. In the Choose File to Upload window, navigate to the directory where the file is located and click the file to attach.

5. Click the Open button.

6. In the Description field, type a description for the attachment.

7. Click the Save button.

Using Global Attachments

The Global Attachments Overview component allows you to view and change two types of global attachments:  Attachments are attached files that you have permission to view but are attached to entities you do not have permission to access.  System Attachments are files not attached to a specific entity.

You can access the Global Attachments Overview from any page in the application.

1. On the Menu bar, click the system Actions button.

2. Click the Global Attachments action. The Attachments tab lists any attached files that you have permission to view, but that are attached to entities you do not have permission to access.

3. Click the attachments name link to open the attachment in the attached file’s application.

4. Close the attached file’s application when you have finished reviewing the attachment.

5. Click the System Attachments tab. The System Attachments tab lists any attached files that you have permission to view that are not attached to a specific entity.

6. Click the attachments name link to open the attachment in the attached file’s application.

7. Close the attached file to return application when you have finished reviewing the attachment.

Working with Links

You can attach a link to an outside website address (also known as a URL) to your project, proposal, or any other entity in the system. Any user with your active role who has permission to access the entity will be able to access the attached link. You can also give users whose role does not allow them access to the entity permission to access the attached link.

You can access links on any component by clicking the Actions menu on a row or component header, and then clicking the link you want to follow.

Use caution when granting role access rights that allow users to create links (Assign Role Access Rights component, Resources tab, URLAttachments) and assign access to those links (Assign Role Access Rights component, Resources tab, URLAttachmentRoles). Users granted access to creating links could potentially create a link to malware or a malicious resource. If that occurred, any user with authority to access the link could click it, which may lead to undesired consequences.

Attaching a Link to an Entity

1. Navigate to the component to which to add the link.

2. From the component or row Actions menu, click the Links view.

3. In the Links Overview component, click the New button.

4. In the URL field, type the URL for the link.

5. In the Link Name field, type a name for the link.

6. Click the Save button.

Using Global Links

Links provide a convenient way to access an outside website while working in the system. The Global Links Overview component allows you to view and change two types of global links:  Links are links that you have permission to access, regardless of whether you have permission to access the entities associated with the links.  System Links are links that are not attached to a specific entity.

You can access the Global Links Overview from any page in the application. You can also grant and remove security access to roles, as shown in the sections above.

1. On the Menu bar, click the global Actions button.

2. Click the Global Links action. The Links tab lists the links that you have permission to access, but that are linked to entities you do not have permission to access.

3. Click the Link name to open the web page.

4. Close the web browser when you have finished reviewing the link.

5. Click the System Links tab. The System Links tab lists any links that you have permission to view that are not attached to a specific entity.

6. Click the Link name to open the web page.

7. Close the web browser when you have finished reviewing the link.

Managing My Settings

The My Settings component contains information about your user account and your email address. For new users, agencies may choose to set the New User Help option to open to the Role-Based Workflows help topic when you click the Help button on the Menu Bar.

View and Clear New User Help Check Box

1. On the Menu bar, click the system Actions button.

2. Click the My Settings action.

3. Review your user information.

4. Click the New User Help check box to check or clear the check box.

5. Click the Save button.

Changing Your Email Address

The Email tab on the My Settings component contains the email address currently recorded for your user account and allows the address to be changed when needed. If an email address has been entered for your user account, the Email tab is displayed. If the Email tab is not displayed and you want to enter your email address, contact your system administrator. After your system administrator has granted you permission you will be prompted to enter and confirm your current email address the next time you log on to the system.

1. Click the Email tab.

2. Review your current email address.

3. In the New Email Address field, enter your new email address.

4. In the Confirm Email Address field, enter your new email address again.

5. Click the Save button.

Working with Email Messages

The Outbox Overview component enables you to view and delete email messages sent within the system from the current user account. It also enables you to send new messages to other system users.

In order to send a message, an email address must be recorded in the system for both the sender and the recipient user accounts.

Managing My Outbox

1. On the Menu bar, click the global Actions button.

2. Click the My Outbox action. A list of email messages you sent from within the system is displayed.

Creating an Email Message

1. Click the Create Message button.

2. To select an individual email address, in the Recipient field, begin typing an email address or click in the field and press the Enter key to see all email addresses. In order to send a message, an email address must be recorded in the system for both the sender and recipient.

3. Click on the appropriate email address from the list.

4. To select multiple email addresses, click the list Actions button next to the New button.

5. Click the Select Recipients action.

6. In the Quick Find search box, type the name of the recipient or click in the field and press the Enter key to see all email addresses.

7. Click the rows for the recipients to add to the email.

8. Repeat steps 6 & 7 above until all recipients have been selected.

9. After the last recipient has been selected, Click the Add to Message button.

10. In the Subject field, type a subject for the email.

11. In the Message Text field, type a message.

12. Click the Send button.

Creating Dynamic Mailing Groups

A mailing group is a collection of names and email addresses that can be selected as the recipient of an email message. A mailing group can include email addresses for a person, vendor, administrative office, or other entity that has an email address entered in the system.

1. Click the Dynamic Mailing Groups quick link.

2. Click the New button.

3. In the Name field, enter a descriptive name for the mailing group.

4. In the Filter section, click the drop-down arrow and select the appropriate filter criteria. Notice that additional criteria fields are now available. Depending on the filter criteria selected, different options are available in the additional fields.

5. In the middle drop-down field, select the operator for the filter.

6. In the third criteria field, select or enter the values by which to filter.

7. You may select additional filter criteria in the second Filter row.

8. Click the Test Filter Results button. This allows you to preview the user names and email addresses that will be included in the mailing group as a result of the filter criteria statement.

9. Click the Save button.