WORKSPACE SOFTWARE

OPERATING SYSTEM
(WSOS)


User guide
Version 1.0














Prepared by:

Workspace Technologies Ltd.
Pioneer House, 4
th
floor
P.O. Box 6024-00200
Nairobi

E-Mail: [email protected]
Cell: +254 722 605810
Tel: +254 20 3546999



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CONTENTS

PART 1.......................................................................................................... 1
ACCESSING & SETTING-UP WORKSPACE SYSTEMS....................................... 1
SECTION 1.................................................................................................... 2
Installing Workspace ................................................................................. 2
SECTION 2.................................................................................................... 3
Running Workspace.................................................................................... 3
1.1 WORKSPACE LOCATING THE SYSTEM........................................... 3
1.2 WORKSPACE- LOGON...................................................................... 3
1.3 MAIN WORKSPACE SECTIONS......................................................... 5
Using the Resource List View to access Database Records......................... 8
Resource List View Usage Scenarios .......................................................... 8
Displaying All Record.............................................................................. 8
Displaying Records where Column Value starts with specified Characters .............. 8
SECTION 2.................................................................................................... 8
WORKSPACE SETUP.................................................................................... 9
2.1 SETTING UP ADDITIONAL REPORTS GROUPS.................................. 9
2.2 SETTING UP ADDITIONAL REPORTS ITEMS..................................... 9
2.3 SETTING UP REPORTS PARAMETERS............................................... 9
2.4 SETTING UP RESOURCES................................................................. 9
2.5 SETTING UP RESOURCES DISPLAY DETAILS ................................... 9
2.6 SETTING UP ANALYSIS ................................................................... 9
PART 2........................................................................................................ 11
CORPORATE MODELLING............................................................................ 11
SECTION 3.................................................................................................. 13
3.1 USING WORKSPACE BI ................................................................... 13





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PART 1

ACCESSING & SETTING-UP WORKSPACE SYSTEMS





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SECTION 1

Installing Workspace






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SECTION 2

Running Workspace

1.1 WORKSPACE LOCATING THE SYSTEM

Workspace can be accessed in two different ways:
(i) Click on Start>>Programs>> Workspace
(ii) Double click the Workspace shortcut from the desktop


1.2 WORKSPACE- LOGON

When the system start a login screen is displayed.



Diagram 1.1

To Login Type your user name and password as provided by the system administrator. And
then click the OK button. If the login is successful, the main workspace is displayed. If the login
is not successful, a warning message is displayed and you are given two more chances to
attempt login. If the login fails for the third time, the system exits.






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Diagram 1.2







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Diagram 1.3


1.3 MAIN WORKSPACE SECTIONS

There are 4 important functional sections on the main workspace window.
(i) The operations Toolbar
(ii) The Applications toolbar
(iii) The Commands Bar
(iv) The Resources List view

(i) THE OPERATIONS TOOLBAR
The applications toolbar is used for the common database operations commonly refered to
us CRUD. I.e. creating a record, Reading a record, Updating/Modifying a record, and
deleting a record.

Apart from the function of reading a record which is done via the Resources List View, all
other functions are accomplished using buttons on the main toolbar shown in diagram 1.4
below.



Diagram 1.3.1





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Resting the mouse on each button displays a shortcut cue to the function of the button.
From left to right, these button are:
Application exit button
New record button
Add record button
Modify record button
Delete record button
Undo changes button
Close form button

(ii) THE APPLICATIONS TOOLBAR
The applications tool bar shown in diagram 1.5 below is used to access the various
applications in the Workspace suite. The number of buttons on the applications tool bar
depends on the number of purchased applications. An application is activated by clicking its
corresponding button. Resting the mouse pointer on a button displays the application name
as the shortcut cue.



Diagram 1.3.2

(iii) THE COMMANDS BAR
Once an application has been activated by clicking on the application toolbar as described
in (ii) above, the Command buttons that help access the various functions of the application
are displayed in the Command Bar. These commands are organized into logical groups,
each having a header name. To access the command in a group, click the group header
button. The first groups is commands are displayed by default whet the application if first
activated.

Diagram 1.6 below shows the command bar for Workspace Lims.






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Diagram 1.3.3


(iv) THE RESOURCES LIST VIEW

The Resources List view is designed to enable users of the system to display and select
the records to work with. It also enable the user to sort the records in order to find the
records easily.

The Resource List View appears at the bottom of the screen under the main workspace. It
consist of the main list view where records are displayed, and a query and sorting toolbar at
the top.

Diagram 1.3.4 shows the Resource List View showing all the Corporate Eds records








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Diagram 1.3.4 The Resource List View



Using the Resource List View to access Database Records

The Resource List View Columns are pre-set by the system. The user can however add or
remove columns, change the column width, or add additional list Views

The Resource List View Header features the following toolbar items:
(i) The Search Column Selector Used to select the Column to search By.
(ii) The Search Value Specifier - Used specify the Search Criteria
(iii) The Find Button Used to initiate the search
(iv) The Sort Button Used to sort the displayed records either ascending or
descending
(v) The Filter Button Used to set the filter either on or off
(vi) Structural Analysis Toolbar This toolbar appears only when corporate Analysis
is defined. When set, the toolbar provides more search criteria. For example, the
user can decide to display only employees from a certain Branch, or Section
(vii) Custom Analysis Toolbar Like the Structural analysis Toolbar, this bar appears
only when custom Analysis is defined. When set, it also provide more seach
criteria.

Resource List View Usage Scenarios


Displaying All Record

(i) Click on the Filter Button to display the selectors
(ii) On the Search Value Specifier, type *
(iii) Click on the Find Button to display the Records

Displaying Records where Column Value starts with specified Characters

(i) Click on the Filter Button to display the selectors
(ii) On the Search Column Selector, Select the Column you wish to search by.
(iii) On the Search Value Specifier, Type the first few characters you wish to use as
the search criteria. These characters are assumed to be the starting characters.
E.G. Type M to search all records where the value of the specified search
column starts with M
(iv) Click on the Find Button to display the Records

SECTION 2






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WORKSPACE SETUP

2.1 SETTING UP ADDITIONAL REPORTS GROUPS

Workspace functionality is organized into applications, which contains Command groups,
which contains command Buttons. Each command button is used to activate a single
functionality.

Workspace allow user to add command groups to applications. These command groups are
however design to hold command buttons that activates reports only.

You can use this functionality to hold user defined reports that you wish to in-cooperate into
the system.

Note: You can also use the Workspace-BI application to add user defined reports. The
difference is the while Workspace-BI enables to keep report instance as history for future
reference, reports added directly into the system are instantaneous every time the report
us run, it reads the database to refresh itself and present the most current state of the
report data.





2.2 SETTING UP ADDITIONAL REPORTS ITEMS


2.3 SETTING UP REPORTS PARAMETERS


2.4 SETTING UP RESOURCES


2.5 SETTING UP RESOURCES DISPLAY DETAILS


2.6 SETTING UP ANALYSIS
Workspace is design with business analysis as one of the prime guiding pillars. Management
want to understand their business. Top management need to understand the overall business
labour cost. However middle level management need to understand their department, or
section labour cost.

Apart from this structural analysis, management also want to design tailor made analysis
parameters which enable them measure performance in certain key areas of the business.

Workspace is packaged with this in mind.


Workspace provides both structural and custom analysis features which, when well utilised
provides management with well analysed reports. This, combined with the ability to design and
attach user defined reports provides workspace with unrivalled capability to meet management
requirements.





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2.6.1: Structural Analysis

The term Structural analysis is used here to represent analysis that relies on the Organizational
structure. Structural analysis in Workspace works in conjunction with the Corporate Modelling
functionality.

The Corporate modelling functionality enable the user to define the organization structure in
terms of branches, department, companies, sections, units , regions, etc.

Once set, the corporate model is then used by the Workspace Structural analysis facility to help
the user analyse records of interest. However to enable this analysis, the various forms need to
be made aware of the analysis structure this constitute the Structural Analysis setup



2.6.2: Custom Analysis








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PART 2

CORPORATE MODELLING






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The Corporate Modelling module can be considered as the Workspace extended set-up function that
enables you to customise how Workspace works for your organization. This extended setup prepares
the ground for other modules for the following functions:

1. All Modules: Geographical Structure Analysis
2. Workspace Personnel: Setting Up Employees grades, Assigning Functions and goals to
employees, Job specification reports, positions setup, and staff evaluation



The Corporate Modelling functions are limited to those functions that deal with:

The Corporate Geographical Structure
The Corporate Functional Structure
Corporate Calendar
Corporate Goals
Corporate Functions
Corporate Tasks

The corporate structure function deals with the organizations structure in terms of its Geographical units
and functional units. Functional units are the small teams established by the organization and charged
with a set or corporate goals and functions that achieve those goals.

It is important to distinguish the geographical structure of the organization from its functional structure.
An employee could be located at the Head office of an organization but he/she could be in charge of
several organization units that are spread across the globe. An example could be the Corporate MIS
Director. Such an employee could be located at the Corporate Head Office. However he is in charge or
responsible for the overall MIS functions of the organization. A functional group can therefore exist
across geographical boundaries.

The question therefore is, what corporate structure do you set up in Workspace?

Workspace users should be guided by their reporting requirements while determining the kind of
structure to set. How do you find yourself analysing expenses? How do you analyse revenue? How do
you allocate cost? Answers to these questions will provide a basis for setting the corporate structure.

Once the Functional structures are set, the next question to answer is who you find in these functional
units. Who, in this case refers to positions. Positions will be designed by considering the functions that
are allocated to the functional unit. A position can be found in different functional units of the same
organization. For example you could find the Chief Account in the Mombasa Branch, and also in the
Nairobi branch. Are these two chief accountants in the same position? At first these may be seen as
different positions but when you consider the functions that each will be charged with and the
organization goal they will be working towards, then the two positions are similar and can be considered
as one position, existing in different functional units.

Workspace advocates creating one Position, and using it to model functional units or teams.







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SECTION 3


3.1 USING WORKSPACE BI

The Workspace Reports Manager enables you organize your reports and access them from a single
portal. The reports can be those generated by workspace or those generated by other applications such
as your financial application. The reports manager is available as an independent solution when required
for corporate reports management. The following functionalities are provided:

Ability to create user defined Folders that help organize reports and reflect the Students
grouping according to reports access rights
Ability to create and attach user defined reports template.
Ability to create and maintain online different instances of the same report. E.g. Debtors listing
last week and this week.
Ability to update the reports manager to keep the reports relevant
A role based Folder and Reports access rights management capabilities


Accessing the Reports Archives:

(i) To access Workspace BI Click on the Workspace BI button on the Applications
Toolbar. Workspace BI is started.
(ii) Click on the Reports Archive Button to start the Reports Archive. See diagram 4.2.1
below.




Diagram 4.2.1






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Diagram 4.2.2: Reports Archive Window

Adding a Folder

To add a folder:
(i) Right click on the folders Tree view and select The New Folder from the context
menu that appears. The Folders window appears
(ii) Fill in the Folder name and click Ok. The New Folder is created

Adding a report to a folder

To add a new report to a folder:
(i) Right click on the Reports Tree view and select New Report from the context menu
that appears. The new report window appears
(ii) Fill in the details for the new report. This involves selecting the report from the
directory system and selecting the folder to host the report. Click OK when you
through
(iii) The new report is added to the selected folder.


Viewing a report

To view a report:
(i) Right click a report and select refresh from the context menu that appears
(ii) If the report requires parameters, the parameter window appears. Specify all the
parameters and click ok.
(iii) A new report instance is created under the report





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(iv) Select the newly created instance and click on the Preview the selected reprt button
on the main toolbar
(v) The report is displayed