xa browser workbenches are cool! (broadcast/receive for regular tasks) brenda butler, senior...
TRANSCRIPT
XA BROWSER
WORKBENCHES ARE COOL!
(Broadcast/Receive for Regular Tasks)
Brenda Butler, Senior [email protected]
Agenda for Today
• Browser Workbenches– What are they?– Where are they?– Considerations and limitations – Sample tasks– Building, saving, closing, using
workbenches
Workbenches – What Are They?• Two or more open Browser view
windows on the desktop• Linked in broadcast/receive function to
communicate information interactively.• Great for:
– Inquiry– Performing certain tasks – daily or
occasional
To find and use, click NAVIGATION anywhere it is found and select WORKBENCHES.
For detail of a workbench, “Plus out” to see windows and which are broadcasting/receiving.
Open & Delete a Workbench
You can also open a workbench by double-clicking the icon.
Considerations
• What is the task/inquiry needed?• What specific information do I need?• Is the desired information in the DISPLAY
list of your broadcast window? If not, it is unavailable for the workbench.
• Which views and subsets are appropriate?• Should workbench be public or private?
Limitations
• Number of screens is limited by the size of your monitor (and others).
• Size/configuration saved by creator may not fit your monitor (make your private version).
• In R6 need broadcasting window to have master records not “transient” records (orders that move to history). R7 solved this problem.
• Tree structure/hierarchical windows will not work.
Workbench Examples
• Customer Service: by customer, see open orders, shipments and AR balance.
• Materials: on-hand, item locations, PO’s and maybe PO history.
• Purchasing: requisitions, open PO’s and PO history.
• Engineering: item revision, bill of material and routing.
• Shipping: items in shipping location, customer orders for those items with shipment promise date.
• Accounts Payable: vendor, PO’s, AP invoices
Workbench Examples
• Item Availability: on-hand, purchase orders, customer orders, manufacturing orders.
• MO Component usage: from item warehouse, inventory transaction history for IP’s.
• PO Item Expedite: subset past due items and link to vendor record for vendor name and telephone number.
Workbench Problems
• Why can’t I see a workbench? Was it created as “Public”?
• Are the views and subsets “Public”?• It’s not talking!
– The broadcasting window should have the correct broadcast settings in your preferences. Set by user, not by the workbench.
– Are broadcast/receive icons enabled?
Select CUSTOMIZE and PREFERENCES and the BROADCAST tab. Double click or highlight and click ADD to adjust settings.
Broadcast Combinations
• Broadcast a window to one or more windows.
• Broadcast from window 1 to 2 and then from 2 to 3 (reason – because you can’t access information from first window).
1 to 2 and 1 to 3
Vendors broadcasting to PO’s
PO
’s broadcasting
to PO
items
1 to 2 and 2 to 3
Saving a Workbench
• Close all extraneous Browser windows when building or saving a workbench because any open window will be locked in the workbench.
• No SAVE command—use ADD WORKBENCH — even when it already exists and you are just making changes.
• Name the workbench (area, task or windows)
• Domain – • Public• Private
• Options –• Global Broadcast • Global Receive • or neither
(Global broadcasting & receiving means broadcasting windows will broadcast to windows outside of the workbench.)
Closing a Workbench
• Click “X” on any window.
• Will receive this message.
• May need to just close the window selected. If so, answer NO. If finished with workbench, answer YES.
TIP: Double click the workbench symbol on one window to auto maximize all windows in the workbench.
Workbench Security at R6
• Introduced without a lock-down for Public workbenches.
• PTF SH13931 at level 40 and higher ties workbench security to subset security; i.e., users with authority to create public subsets also can create public workbenches.
Let’s create a workbench or two!
Release 7 Improvements
• Broadcast window can be records which go to history. Workbench adjusts for missing records. Select another and continue.
• Separate workbench security now available.
• Even maintenance history will broadcast.
How Can I Leverage Browser?
Browser Bootcamp
• ½ day of group Browser Education• ½ day with each department to
develop tailored views, subsets, workbenches, create reports, etc.
• Result: at the end of the engagement, users have incorporated Browser into their daily activities to become more productive.