Control Automation

The menu “controls and automatisms” allows to manage and parameterize efficiently and finely the triggering events as well as all that ensues from it … automatically.

Sending mails, changes of status, status, loading of notes …

Workflow

A workflow defines the possibility to go from one status to another one, and who (depending on profile) can do this operation for each status.

Once defined, a workflow can be linked to any type of any item.

It is possible to define some mandatory fields on some status change (in the definition of type of item or through the Screen Customization plugin).

If a field is required for the transition from one status to another then you will be automatically redirected to the required field.

Regardless of the layout and presentation of your screens.

Workflow screen

Workflow screen

Select status

Click on Parameter to display the status list.

Dialog box - Select status to show or hide

Select or hide status

Choose the statuses to keep or hide by clicking on the checkboxes

Section List of types using this workflow

List of all elements and objects related to this workflow

List of types using this workflow

List of types using this workflow

Section Workflow Diagram

The workflow diagram presents a visual representation of the workflow displaying all possible transitions (independently to profile rights).

Workflow Diagram

Workflow Diagram

Section Habilitation to change from a status to another

  • The habilitation table helps defining who can move from one status to another one.

  • Each line corresponds to the status from which you want to be able to move.

  • Each column corresponds to the status to which you want to be able to go.

  • It is not possible to go from one status to itself (these cells are blank).

  • Just check the profile (or “all”) who is allowed to pass from one status to the other.

Habilitation table

Habilitation table

Make sure that it is still possible to transfer an item from one status to another. Because it is possible to get stuck on a status.

Check the links so that there is still an outlet.

Email Templates

The user is able to format mails that are sent automaticaly on events.

See Notifications on event.

When using template, the standard email formating is replaced with selected one.

Just define your templates, and select it on the “Mail on Events”

Specifics Tags on email template

specifics tags

Specific tags

In the model, the user can use any property of the subject and display it in the mail using specific tags.

you just need to use the tag $ {projectName} for the name of the project to appear and $ {idproject} to display the identification number of this one.

Tip

For properties referencing an external element, such as idXxxxx, use ${nameXxxxx}

Other tags are available as parameters for email titles

More details, see Global Parameters

the Tags selector

Insert specific tags

Insert specific tags

  • A tag selector is available under the text fields.

  • Choose the tag you want to insert.

  • Click on insert

  • The tag appears in the body of the text

Notifications on event

  • The app is able to automatically send internal emails or notifications when an item is updated.

  • Events are defined on an element and/or an element type.

  • If the type field is not defined, the event is valid for each type of the element.

for emails

  • The email message is formatted to show information about the item.

  • Selecting a template, will use the formatting from the template instead of the default standard formatting.

  • Email titles are defined in Global parameters.

for notifications

  • you can use the notifications generated by your browser or the internal notifications of ProjeQtOr.

  • When opening the application in your browser, you will be offered an authorization message for the display of ProjeQtOr notifications.

  • After acceptance, notifications from your browser will replace internal notifications.

  • You will see notifications from your desktop even if you are not directly on the app.

Warning

You must allow notifications from your browser in your operating system settings.

The ProjeQtOr application must be running in the background to continue receiving notifications.

browser message to allow notifications

browser message to allow notifications

Description section

In the description section you will detail what will be the levers to trigger the sending of an email.

Status is one of these levers. Positioning items in the chosen status will generate an email.

Or choose any other event in the drop-down list.

Events list

Events list

Receivers Section

  • List of addresses of the mails.

  • The list is not nominative, but defined as roles on the element.

  • Each addressee will receive mail only once, even if a person has several “checked” roles on the element.

  • See: Receivers list for receivers detail.

Receivers section

Receivers section

Receivers list

Receivers can receive email and alert.

A description of receivers below.

Requestor

The contact defined as requestor on current item; sometimes appears as “contact” (on quotation and order, for instance) and sometimes have no meaning (for instance for milestone).

Issuer

The user defined as Issuer.

Responsible

The resource defined as responsible.

Project team

All resources allocated to the project.

Global project team

all the resources allocated to the project and those of the parent projects.

Project leader

The resource(s) allocated to the project with a “Project Leader” profile.

Project manager

The resource defined as the manager on a project.

Assigned resource

All resources assigned.

Other

Provides an extra field to manually enter email addresses.

If “other” is checked, an input box is displayed to enter a static mail address list.

Several addresses can be entered, separated by semicolon.

Delays for tickets

Delays for tickets screen

Delays for tickets screen

It is possible to define a default delay for tickets, for each ticket type, each ticket urgency and for each status.

Note

On creation, the due date will automatically be calculated as creation date + delay.

Section Description

Required field Required File legend

Field

Description

Id

Unique Id for the delay definition.

Required File Ticket type

Ticket type the delay applies to.

Required File Urgency

Urgency of ticket the delay applied to.

Required File Project

The project on which the delays will be applied.

Required File Value

Value of delay.

Closed

Flag to indicate that delay definition is archived.

Unit indicators

Indicators

Indicators

It is possible to define indicators on most elements. You can set the indicators on:

  • actions

  • activities

  • customer invoices

  • customer invoice exchanges

  • customer orders

  • customer quotes

  • individual expenses

  • issues

  • meetings

  • milestones

  • supplier orders

  • projects

  • project expenses

  • supplier invoices

  • supplier offers

  • questions

  • requirements

  • risks

  • payment deadlines to suppliers

  • test sessions

  • and finally the tickets

Depending on type of elements the type of indicators that can be selected in list differs.

Some indicators are based on delay (due date), some on work, others on cost.

For each indicator, a warning value and an alert value can be defined in days or hours (working or not).

Indicator display

On the Today screen, on the item summary lists, a color code is applied to the line if the item is subject to an indicator and is concerned by the alert values entered.

Color code applied to lines whose elements are subject to indicators

Color code applied to lines whose elements are subject to indicators

On the screen of an element subject to the indicators and whose values enter the alert zone, an icon is displayed in front of the description of the element.

display of the indicator and the values applied to the element

display of the indicator and the values applied to the element

When you hover over the icon, the raised indicator on that item is displayed along with reminder and alerts values.

Mail receivers

  • List of addresses of the mails.

  • The list is not nominative, but defined as roles on the element.

  • Each addressee will receive mail only once, even if a person has several “checked” roles on the element.

  • See : Receivers list for receivers detail.

Internal alert and warning receivers

  • List of addresses of the internal alert.

  • The list is not nominative, but defined as roles on the element.

  • See : Receivers list for receivers detail.

Predefined notes

The predefined note set the possibility to define some predefined texts for notes.

When some predefined notes are defined for an element and / or type a list will appear on note creation.

Selecting an item in the list will automatically fill in the note text field.

Section Description

Required field Required File legend

Field

Description

Id

Unique Id for the predefined note.

Required File Name

Name of the predefined note.

Element

Kind of item (Ticket, Activity, …) for which this predefined note will be proposed on note creation.

Type

Type of element for which this predefined note will be proposed on note creation.

Closed

Flag to indicate that delay definition is archived.

Text

Predefined text for notes.

Checklists

It is possible to define checklist forms for each element or each type of element.

When a checklist form exists for a given element, the checklist is available only for the element.

Checklist screen

Checklist screen

Section Description

Field

Description

Id

Unique Id for the checklist definition.

Element

The elements the checklist applies to.

Type

Type of the elements the checklist applies to.

Closed

Flag to indicate that checklist definition is archived.

Section Checklist lines

A checklist is built from checklist lines.

  • Click on Add to create a new checklist line.

  • Click on Button edit to update an existing checklist line.

  • Click on Delete to delete the corresponding checklist line.

Dialog box - Choices for the checklist lines

Choices for the checklist lines

Tip

Details of dialog box

  • Each line has a name, an order and up to 5 check choices.

  • A line with no check choice will be displayed as a section title.

  • Name and Choices have 2 fields :

    1. Displayed caption.

    2. Help text that will be displayed as tooltip.

  • Checks can be exclusive (select one will unselect others) or not (multi selection is then possible).

KPI definitions

A performance indicator or key performance indicator (KPI) is a type of performance measurement.

It is possible to define Kpi on incomings and deliverables items.

KPI Definition screen

KPI Definition screen

Section Description

Warning

Description integrates the formula used to calculate the KPI.

Section Tresholds

It is possible to attributes tresholds lines to KPI.

  • Click on Add to create a new JobList line.

  • Click on Button edit to update an existing JobList line.

  • Click on Delete to delete the corresponding JobList line.

_images/CONTROLAUTO_KpiTresholds.png

Note

Keep in mind KPI is an indicator of performance at project level (opposite to indicator which is calculated at item level).

To display the indicator, use Kpi report. See: Reports

List of KPI Reports

List of KPI Reports

JobList

The JobList can be used for each item or item type

It is generally used to detail an activity or a ticket.

It also acts as an indicator to monitor compliance with date values thanks to the lead time of tasks.

Section JobList lines

A JobList is built from JobList lines.

  • Click on Add to create a new JobList line.

  • Click on Button edit to update an existing JobList line.

  • Click on Delete to delete the corresponding JobList line.

Task anticipation delay .

Joblist anticipation delay

Joblist colors anticipation delay

  • This deadline is fixed for each step created in the joblist. It works with planned dates. It is not compulsory.

  • A color code allows you to anticipate these dates

    • White: Without anticipation delay

    • Green: Check the box to indicate that this step has been completed. The dot turns green.

    • Orange: You enter the anticipation period

    • Red: you have exceeded this deadline

Notifications

You must activate the notifications module to display the corresponding screens

This system allows you to generate notifications or according to very “powerful” rules (defined as “where” clauses).

Note

ProjeQtOr offers 2 systems to generate alerts or reminders: definition of notifications and manual notifications from the tools menu

see: Notifications.

Notification definition in control and automation menu allows you to create notifications about events

Notification System

If it is generated by the notification system, it is linked to an element of the system (Action, Invoice, …).

Notifications system screen

Notifications system screen

Creation

The definition of notification generation is based on the following:

  • The title that can contain the field values of the notifiable element or its sub-elements

  • The element of the system that determines the notification, called “Notifiable Element” (notifiable)

  • The type of notification (Alert, Warning, Information)

  • The notification rule notifying the elements related to the generation of a notification

  • The content may also contain the field values of the notifiable element or its sub-elements.

  • The date (referred to as the reference date) at which the notification must be generated. This is one of the dates of the notifiable item that is not the creation date.

  • The generated notification receivers. Fields of the notifiable element or its sub-elements that refer to users.

  • The choice to send, or not, to all the sending of emails at the same time as the notifications.

Section Description

This section briefly describes the type of notification

Its name, its type: alert, information or warning as well as the notifiable element.

Section Notification title

This section allows you to give a title to your notification.

This title will be the object of the programmed mail if you tick the box send an email in the receivers section

You can add dynamic fields with help to insert a dynamic field in the title

The title of the notification can therefore contain fields of the “notifiable” object and its linked elements via an idXXX.

where XXX is the name of the linked item.

Select an object and / or a field and click the Insert button so that the dynamic field with the correct syntax fits directly in the title, where the cursor is.

In this case, the syntax must be: #{the name of the field}

Tip

#{billId} - Invoice not paid - Sent on #{sendDate} If the rule (see below) of the instruction on the invoice of ‘billId’ 2019-12-30-0001 whose sending date is 30-12-2019 then the title of the notification will be:

2019-12-30-0001 - Invoice not paid - Submitted on 12-30-2019

Section Rule to apply

Notifications rules

Notifications rules

This rule determines which instance of the item will generate a notification.

The syntax is the one we take for a WHERE clause in an SQL statement.

Tip

Scheduling a notification for all invoices where the amount has been paid = total amount AND project name ‘ACME’

#{paymentAmount} < #{fullAmount} AND #{idProject.name} = ‘ACME’ AND isnull (#{paymentDate)

Note

The rule to apply is not mandatory. If the rule is empty, then only the reference date is used to determine whether or not a notification is generated.

In addition to choosing a dynamic field, you can choose to use an operator or function with the following elements:

Notification content

This section is mandatory

You can also add dynamic fields with help to insert a dynamic field in content in the same way as in the description section

Section Start as

Start as section

Start as section

this section allows you to program the frequency of the notification display

The reference date

  • Date on witch will be generate the notification (minus the number of days or minutes programmed before)

  • Notify before: This is a number of days before the notification date for which the notification is to be generated

  • This field is mandatory


Example “delivery expected date” is selected.

For all deliverables that do not follow the previous rule, a notification will be generated if the delivery date is not respected.


Every year

  • If the year is checked, the generator is a notification every year to the month and the day of the reference date

  • If the year is checked, the month and day filled, then it is a birthday. The reference date will not be used.

Every month / Week / Open day

  • Is selected, responsive notifications will be generate monthly / weekly or each open day

Receivers

These are the types of people who are notified.

The syntax is as follows: One of the words in the “Help Authorized Recipients”

section separated by a ‘;

The following items allow you to choose the type of remitter.

If Sent e-mail checked, an e-mail will be generated even if the notification for each type of person has been defined.

See also

Global Parameters Management of automated service (CRON)

Gives in seconds, the time interval between two generations of notification (and the Cron system is active)

and between two the refresh of notifications on the HMI.

Note

The authorizations

The access rights for the ‘notification’ menu were given to the ‘standard’ projeqtor profiles (idProfile = 1 to 7) with the CRUD rights reader only

The access rights for the ‘notification definition’ menu have been given for the administrator profile (idProfile = 1)with the CRUD rights modifiers

Notification and the IHM

notification on the login screen

Notification on the login screen

After logging in, a message generated after “Login accepted” that tells you that you have unread notifications:

Display of unread notifications

It is done at 2 levels on the main screen:

  • Bottom right A notification icon appears as soon as a notification is not intended for the user.

    Clicking on the icon gives direct access to the notifications screen.

    notification area

    Notifications

  • In the secondary menu

notification area

Notifications

A tree whose title indicates the number of unread notifications intended for the user.

This tree has the following levels:

  • Level 1: The types of notifications

  • Level 2: The trigger for notifications

  • Level 3: The Notification Definition to Product Notifications

  • Level 4: The id of the element that generated the notification. Allows direct access to the item.

The icon Refresh allows you to refresh notifications without waiting for the scheduled update.

The icon Notification provides direct access to the notifications screen.

Numbers indicate the number of unread notifications