Managing Job Events

The old task feature, present in iQuote before version 8.1, has been through a profound redesign and got renamed as Event.

As much as the previous versions, the events still represent actions to be taken by the system’s operators. It also can be set for any object, such as jobs and estimates. For example, when approving a job, the system can create an event indicating the prepress department has to verify if the customer requires sending a hard proof.

Events can be automatically created based on a status change, checklist marked, being assign to a person, expiration dates, etc. But it’s also possible to manually create some types of events.

In this document we’ll also present the enhancements made to the Job to better use the Event features.

 

Job events configuration

All the iQuote’s objects have the Event type tab, where users can configure action that will happens in the system when some conditions are met. For example, when a Job is released to production iQuote sends a message to the prepress team for sending proofs for approval.

Note: Although Events types can be set up for all objects in the system, this section describes the creation of events types only in the job object.
The Header event type is valid for all objects in the system, but the other event types are exclusive for the job object.

 

Follow the steps and instructions below for configuring a job event:

Go to Administration > Workflow > Objects

Open the Job object and go to the Event type tab.

Click New.

 

Definitions tab

General

Populate the fields in this tab as described below:

Note: There are some conditions that can trigger an alert status in the job event by default. Those conditions may vary according to the event creation type and are detailed in Event creation types.
Besides that, users can also define customized conditions for setting a specific event into alert status.
When State of alert is selected a new filter is added to this window. Use the filter to set up the customized condition for the alert.

 

 

Event creation types

Header

This event type is based on the job’s general information, therefore has only the basic event data and the standard tabs Notes and History.

Note: Any events created in iQuote versions prior to Suite 8.1 are were automatically set as “header” event type during update.

 

Product versions

This event type is linked to all final product version in the job.

Once the event has been created, the user can see all products from the job under Product versions and, if necessary, unselect any of them.

Note: The same product cannot be linked to the same event instance twice.

 

 

Product Version alert state:

iQuote activates the alert status for events of this type when some but not all the products in the job are linked with any occurrences of this event.

 

Production groups

This events of this type can be selected in the Production group, under Other > Event record and are created automatically every time the engineering uses the linked Production group.

Note: Events in the Production Group creation type are triggered exclusively by production groups. They cannot be created by the usual triggers available in the event type configuration tab (Administration > Workflow > Objects > Job > Event type tab > New > Trigger events).

 

For configuring the production group for triggering an event, follow the steps below:

In the Event tab, click New.

Select the Event type. Only event types set as “production group creation type” will be listed here.

In Type of Event Creation select between:

One event for all planning tasks: Only one event is created and all the planned tasks are listed inside of it.

 

Events for each planning tasks: One separated event is created for each planned task in the production group.

Enter notes to be added to the event when created.

User can choose to set up the event trigger using any of the filters created in the production group or by an information range.

 

Production Group filters:

Under Filters, click New.

Select one of the filters previously created in the production group.

Select a filter option, among the options recorded in the filter.

Add as many filters as necessary.

In How to validate the conditions select one option:

All conditions must be met

At least one condition must be met

No condition must be met

 

Filter by information range:

Under Filter by information range, select a variable.

Enter the range’s minimum and maximum values for filtering.

 

Note:

Production group events can be linked to any Production group.

For each production group it is possible to add multiple events

The event is automatically created when the engineering is calculated, selecting the linked production group.

Each time the engineering route uses the linked production group will prompt the system to create a new event.

 

Production Group alert state:

iQuote activates the alert status for events of this type when the linked production group in not being used by the engineering anymore.

Notice the event is not deleted automatically. The system only raises the alert, but the user has to cancel or close the event manually.

 

Due date calculation

Populate the fields in this tab as described below:

 

 

Classification

Field	Description
Category	Select the most appropriate among the creation type options: Pre-manufacturing Post-manufacturing
Priority	Choose the appropriate severity for this event type: Average High Low

 

Method for completing event

Select one of the possible methods for completing the event.

 

Manual

When this option is selected, users are able to manually complete the event both in the Job event browser and in the desktop.

Click Completion Options for configuring how the event can be closed.

 

Status

Select one of the existing recorded status options. When the job enters the selected status, the event is automatically completed.

 

Condition

Choose this option for using a filter to define the specific condition to be met so the event is automatically closed.

 

Trigger events

Use the buttons under Trigger events to configure the system’s actions when an event:

is assigned to someone;

is closed;

is cancelled;

has its due date postponed;

is overdue;

when the due date fails validation.

Note: The system triggers the When Due Date Fails Validation event when you save the Sales Order, updating the Product Version Link events from the related Job.
This option only appears if the Event Creation Type field is "Product Version Link" and the Type of date to validate field is not "do not validate".

 

Click the appropriate button.

In the following window, click New.

Click Condition to generate action to set the filters for the event.

Enter the appropriate condition and click Ok.

 

 

The field Secondary Object field allows the user to specify that this action – be it a new event, a checklist or a notification – will be applied to another object, not the job.

If this field is left blank, the configured action will apply to the job object.

 

Complete the fields under Events, Check List and Notifications tabs, depending on the action created, as described below.

 

Events tab

Use this tab for defining the current event will trigger the creation of another event:

Under Create events select which events will be created. Only events previously recorded in job object are available for selection.

Under Cancel events populate the fields as described:

 

Check list tab

In Create check list items select the items that will be created in the job for this event. Only previously recorded check list items are available for selection.

For more information, refer to "Check list" in the iQuote User Guide Objects.

 

Notifications tab

In this tab, configure the notifications that will be sent by this event. Only previously recorded notification templates are available for selection.

Click New and complete the fields as described below:

 

Initial user/ User role assignment

 

Click New. The following window will open.

Click Condition for selection to set the filters for selection the user or user role.

Enter the appropriate conditions and click Ok.

Select Assign to the user role Manager for automatically assigning the event to the user role’s manager

Complete the fields in the screen as described below:

 

‎

Access control tab

From the list on the left, select the user group to which you want to assign access

Under Access, on the right, select the actions that will be authorized for this user group, as described below:

 

Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each user group as needed.

Click Save.

Click Save again and then click Apply workflow. This may take a couple minutes.

 

‎

Job Event browser

The job event browser lists all events linked to jobs.

The browser provides two standard filter options: default and pending items. It also shows relevant information on each event, such as:

Status

Due date

Schedule color

Event

Job

Event type > category

User role

Previous event

Assigned to

Previous event status

Job number

 

In the task bar the user finds buttons for the following actions:

 

Inside the job event, the user finds fields with relevant information about the event. Some are read-only, and some are editable fields:

 

Note: The job to which this event belongs is indicated in the header of this screen and it’s also a link:
 

 It allows the user to quickly access the respective job, if needed.

 

Notes

Click the upper field under the Notes tab to enter useful information about the event. The text entered here is displayed in the event link in the Desktop and in the Job > Engineering > Details > Events.

 

History

Under the History tab are recorded all changes made to this job event, such as:

Creation;

Status change;

Due date change;

Assignments;

General.

 

Alerts

If some critical information is incorrect in the job event, the system displays an alert so users know to check and fix it before proceeding. This alert is identified in the Job event browser by the status icon and the “Alert state” parameter checkbox:

Different situations can put an event in a state of alert, according to the event creation type. For more details, go to Event creation types.

Note: Job events in alert state are displayed in red in the desktop’s Events widget:
 


Click the event to open a popup with more about the event and the alert:

 

 

Linking two events

iQuote allows the user to create links between events. When linking events users can set up the time interval between them, this way if the due date of one event changes, the other event’s due date is automatically updated.

 

 

 

Linking events in the job event browser

In the Job event browser select the appropriate events and click Link events.

Under Previous event select events so to set the order of the linked events.

For each event, define the time span or the due date – as appropriate.

Click Confirm.

 

Linking events in the object record

Go to Administration > Workflow > Object.

Open the Job object and go to Event type tab.

Click to select the desired events and then click Event type link.

Click New for adding an event type to be linked.

Under Previous event type select events so to set the order of the linked events.

Under Hours define the time span between the selected event and the previous one.

Click Save.

 

How to manually create events

In the event type configurations, users set up which actions trigger the automatic creation of events.

Note: For a detailed explanation of how to configure the event triggers go to Event types.

 

But iQuote also provides two options for manually creating events: pre-defined or non-predefined.

Simply clicking New, opens the New pre-defined event window, since this is the default option. But users can also click the side arrow and select the Non-defined Event option instead.

 

Pre-defined event

Click New pre-defined event.

The system opens a list of all the available events that can be manually created. Only event types “Header” and “Product Versions” are available.

Note: For more on how to make an event available for manual creation go to Event types.

 

The field Job automatically shows the job respective to the event that was selected in the event browser, if any.

If necessary, type in the appropriate job number or use the look up for searching for another job to filter the events by.

Click the Check/ Uncheck button for selecting or unselecting all pre-defined events at once.

Select as many pre-defined events as appropriate.

Under Notes, click the three dots to enter a note to the event.

Click Confirm. All selected events will be created for the selected job.

 

Non-defined event

Click New non-defined event.

The field Job automatically shows the job respective to the event that was selected in the event browser, if any.

If necessary, type in the appropriate job number or use the look up for searching for another job to filter the events by.

Fill in the remaining fields as appropriate

 

Click Confirm.