Maintain Project Schedule Status on Job Records

A job will often go through different stages of processing before it becomes complete and it can be useful to have a summary of the stages a job has to go through and identify which stages are complete. This new feature adds a Job Project database which allows for the definition of different project schedules, each schedule can then be linked to a job record where you can amend the schedule (if necessary) and mark when each stage is complete.

Maintain Projects

A new option allows you to maintain the Project Schedules. Selecting this action allows you to add, update, view or delete project schedules.



Each action will ask for the project code, title and the activity stages on this schedule.



Maintain Jobs

The Job Costing maintenance screen allows you to select which project schedule applies to the job and (subject to configuration) allows you to mark the stages as complete when applicable.

Ledger Enquiry

The Ledger Enquiry options for the Job Costing display the stages, by default, on the left-hand enquiry panel allowing you to view quickly the stages completed on the job.A STATUS button can also be available to display the stages where the panels are in use for other displays.

Installation

Database Changes

Extra items are required on the Job file to hold the project activity schedule and completion status plus a new database is created to maintain the project schedule templates.

To create the new data items on the Job file you need to select Installation followed by Application Manager and then Restructure a Database. Select the Job Costing application and choose to update the live file before selecting the Job File. Press the <Page-Down> key until you have a series of blank items and then add the following data items.

Item Name Type Description

PROJECT-CODE X (10) Holds the project schedule code for the job record

PROJECT-TITLE X (40) Holds the project schedule title for the job record

ACTIVITY X (30) Holds the first activity for the job

ACTIVITY-N X (30) Holds the nth activity for the job, activity items must be consecutive within the job database. Number of items to create depends on the maximum number of stages a job may go through.

ACT-STATUS ? Holds flag to identify whether the first stage is complete.

ACT-STATUS-N ? Holds flag to identify whether the nth stage is complete. Again items need to be consecutive within the database and you need to create a series of items up to the maximum number of stages a job may go through.

Once the required data items have been created press <ESC> and choose to update the changes to the database. When prompted confirm to extract any existing records and table values.Once update to the main file is complete you will be prompted to update the base file – select as required and, if choose to update, repeat the changes above at the same item positions.

To create the Project Schedule database you can choose to create your live file from the supplied base file. From the main menu select Database Systems followed by Datafile Database Utilities and then Create/Amend Database Structures – select to Create New Based on Existing.

Datafile Database to be Copied – enter the pathname for the base project schedule file. As part of the Release 6.2 installation procedure a base file named BASE-JCP.DFD will have been copied into the DFCOMP file location (usually \DFWIN\DATA) allowing you to enter the pathname of DATA\BASE-JCP.DFD

Database to Create – enter pathname of the live project schedule file that is to be created, typically this would be DATA\???-JCP.DFD (where ??? is your company id)

On input the system will display the General Parameters of the database for confirmation (Press <Enter>) and then move on to the list of data items. You can change any of the items, or add additional schedule stages (by default we allow for fifteen stages), once complete press <ESC> and select the option Data Items are Complete. The Database Profile is then displayed for confirmation, press <Enter> through this screen excepting default values except changing the number of records to be reserved – we suggest 100 as an initial number. If Premier after creating the database you will be prompted if you wish to set any advanced features – none are required so select ‘No’

System Profiles

To enable the Project Schedule options you need to set a series of parameters within the Job Costing System Profiles. To update select Installation from the main menu, lock out the system, and then select System Profiles and Job Costing. Parameter Screen 5 contains the parameters for the Schedule database.

Pathname to Project File– enter pathname for the project file (usually DATA\???-JCP.DFD where ??? is your company id), <F4-Select> is available if required.

Number of Activities in Project File – set the maximum number of activity stages to be used. This will be used in determining the number of consecutive data items for activity and activity status within the job and job project databases.

Project File Items: Project Name – reference the data item number on the project file that holds the project name/title. By default this would be item number ‘2’.

Project File Items: 1^st Activity – reference the data item number on the project file that holds the first activity stage. By default this would be item number ‘11’.

Job File Items: Project Code – reference the data item number on the job file that holds the linked project schedule.

Job File Items: Project Name – reference the data item number on the job file that holds the name/title of the linked project schedule.

Job File Items: 1^st Activity Name – reference the data item number on the job file that holds the first activity stage of the linked project schedule.

Job File Items: 1^st Activity Status – reference the data item number on the job file that holds the completion status of the first activity stage.

Application Screen Layouts

To link a job record to a project and to allow update of the activity stage completion flag you need to update the job record maintenance screen. From the main menu select the Installation option followed by Application Manager and Application Screen Layouts. Select the Job Costing application and the first Job screen is displayed.

To insert the text labels for the Project Code / Name items use the mouse to position the cursor where required and then type the required text (use the space bar to blank any errors). To insert the required data items position the cursor where required and then press <F4-Select> and select the project code / name item, of the option features you may wish to set the project title as a view-only input.

The display of the Project Stages requires a considerable area so Premier users may wish to use the second job screen for these inputs, whilst Diamond users may want to use either a ProFiler screen or a Database on Desktop screen to update the completion flag for the individual job stages.

When displaying the stages you may want to consider whether these items are to be view-only or if you wish to allow operators to amend stages. The options for the completion status flags should be set to allow uppercase input.

Ledger Enquiry Manager

By default the system will display the project stages for the job record within the left hand panel of the job enquiry screen. If using the alternate panel options available in this release you could display this on the right hand panel or via a ‘transaction’ button if required.

To update the Ledger Enquiry display select Installation from the main menu followed by Ledger Enquiry Manager, Enquiries Configuration and then the Job Costing application. To update the left/right panel display select the Alternate Panel Settings option – the configuration of this feature is described earlier in this manual. To display the project stages as a ‘transaction’ button select the option Transaction / Detail Enquiries

To enable the transaction option enter an authority level (0-9 where 0 is the highest and 9 is the lowest) against the option ‘T) Project Status’.

Security & User Manager

The Maintain Projects option has been added to the list of controls within the Security & User Manager for Job Costing. To update select Installation from the main menu, lock out the system and then select the Security & User Manager option and then the Job Costing application. Parameter Screen 1 allows setting of a password and/or authority level for access to the Maintain Projects option.

Menu Design

The final change is to update the Job Costing main menu to allow the option to maintain the Project Schedule database. Sign-on as the CONFIG user and select Application Menu Design and amend the JC.D03. Select to update the left/right hand menu as required and move down to a blank entry.Enter title ‘Maintain Project Activities’ and press <Enter> to set the menu parameters.

Applic, Program or Notes P-Program

Menu Name or Program Path JC.EXE

Parameter 1500

Set other items as required.