Log into the application

Log into the application using the same username and password you use to log into your organization’s network. Your username and password are maintained at the network level rather than in the application, but you will only be able to log into the application if a user account identical to your network username has been set up in the Springbrook application (SS> Security> User).

Springbrook utilizes single login functionality. If you have an active Springbrook session open, you will not need to log in a second time when accessing the application through an email notification.

Using the application window

The user preferences set up on your user account determines how the application displays on the workstation you are logged into. The application will open once you log in. User preferences are saved on the user account, not on your workstation, so the application will display the same no matter where you are accessing the application from.

The standard application will display a menu bar and an MDI (multiple document interface). Any windows opened from the menu bar will open in the MDI rather than on your desktop. If you would like to move a window from the MDI to your desktop, click the Undock icon   on the window. The window will now display as a separate item on the desktop. Click the Dock icon   on the window to move it back to the MDI. The MDI is described in more detail later in this document.

Note: Some users may still be in the deprecated Classic mode. There are a number of know issues with this mode and it is no longer supported. If you would like to switch to the standard display mode, open the User Preferences window by selecting the User Preferences icon   from the User Settings menu item. The Mode (Deprecated) drop-down menu will display Classic. Click the drop-down menu and select Modern. As this is the standard menu mode and the classic mode is being deprecated, the next time you open the User Preferences window the Mode (Deprecated) field will not be displayed.

If you use one particular menu item often, you might find it useful to create a desktop shortcut to that menu item. Hold down the CTRL key and use the mouse to drag the menu item to the desktop to create the shortcut. If the shortcut is associated with a process, it will launch a process-specific My Batches window that displays all of the batches that the current user created in that specific process.

Menu options for keyboard users

There are menu options at the top of the window for users that prefer to use the keyboard. Press ALT to enable the menu options, use the ARROW keys to search the menu (press the DOWN ARROW to view the sub-menu options), and then press ENTER to select a highlighted option. Most of the options in this menu can also be launched using the icons on the application window if you prefer to use a mouse.

• File – Exit the application. You can also press ESCAPE to exit the application when there are no open windows or the focus is on the main application window.
• System – Select a module. This will populate the palettes of the selected module in the menu bar.
• Tools – The Tools option is used to launch commonly opened windows, such as the Customer Search window and Jobs Viewer window.
• Window – The Cascade Layout option will resize all of the open windows in the Desktop section so they are the same size and stack them so the window titles are visible. This feature only works on the windows in the Desktop section. Undocked windows will not be organized. (Undocked windows will be covered later in this document.)
• Help – The Help option is used to launch the help system, view Springbrook version information, enable table/field help which is used in conjunction with DB Security (SS> Security> DB Security), and Check Upgrade Compatibility tool.
  • The Check Upgrade Compatibility tool is used to confirm the host machine is running a version of .NET that is compatible with the upcoming version 7.18.7 Springbrook Cloud release. Simply click the menu option and a message will display informing you of your .NET compatibility status.

Icons 

The icons on the application window allow you to quickly open commonly used windows.

• Customer icon   - Click the Customer icon to locate and/or open a customer account.
• Lot icon   - Click the Lot icon to locate and/or open a lot.
• Jobs Viewer icon   - Reports and most processes are run on the application server rather than on your workstation. The Jobs Viewer icon is used to open the Jobs Viewer window, which displays the status of all of the jobs on the application scheduler. For example, if you generate a report, the Jobs Viewer window will display the progress of the report. When the report is complete, you can open the report from the window.
• My Tasks icon   - The My Tasks window is used to track tasks associated with the user. A number in parentheses will appear next the icon if you have new task notifications awaiting your attention.
  • The My Tasks window will populate with items such as work flows and personnel action forms that require the current Springbrook user's attention. These tasks are processed in the My Tasks window in the same manner that they are processed in the modules where they originated.
• My Reports icon   - The My Reports window will display any reports associated with the processes the user is running. A number in parentheses will appear next the icon if you have new reports awaiting your attention.
• My Batches icon - The My Batches window provides easy access to all of the open batches that the current Springbrook user is authorized to edit. From this window a user can launch an in-progress batch process without opening the module and palette for the process itself.
• Ad-Hoc Reporting icon - The Ad-Hoc Reporting tool allows Springbrook Cloud users to build and run complex reports, charts, and graphs that pull data from multiple user-selected database tables. Users can then share those reports across the organization while still maintaining data security through comprehensive reporting security settings.
• Cirrus icon - Click the Cirrus icon to launch the Cirrus login portal. Cirrus is Springbrook's new, modern, browser-based financial application.
• Reporting and Analytics icon   - Click the Reporting and Analytics icon to launch Springbrook's Reporting and Analytics Tableau site.
• Exit icon   - Click the Exit icon to close the application. You can also close the application by clicking on the Exit icon in the top right corner of the window.
• Help icon - Click the Help icon to open the online help. This icon also appears on all of the windows in the application.
• The User Preferences window can be accessed by clicking the drop-down next to the user avatar  .
  • User Preferences icon - Click the User Preferences icon to change the user preferences on your user account.
  • There are also icons at the top of each window opened in the application.

Using the MDI (multiple document interface) 

What is the MDI?

An MDI is a window pane that displays all of the windows that have been opened in the application. By default, any options selected on the menu will open in the MDI. For example, if you click the Customer Search icon  , the Customer window will open in the MDI. A tab will display at the top of the MDI for each window that is open in the MDI. This allows you to select which window you would like to focus on in the MDI. For example, click on a tab to view the selected window or press CTRL+TAB to cycle focus through the open windows in the MDI.

What is Docking? 

Docking a window is the process of attaching the window to the MDI. The MDI will only display windows that are docked. Undocked windows are windows that have been removed from the MDI and placed on the desktop of the workstation. The undocked windows will display as a separate item on the MS Windows taskbar. Windows can be docked or undocked from the MDI using the Dock   and Undock   icons on the windows. 

If a window is opened in the application and it does not fit in the MDI, the window will open on the desktop of your workstation rather than in the MDI (undocked). For example, if you open the customer search window (Customer icon   on the main application window) and it will not fit in the MDI, the window will open as an undocked window on the desktop of your workstation. 

All open windows will be maximized in the MDI if one of the windows is maximized. You can move between the maximized windows by clicking on the tabs at the top of the MDI or by pressing CTRL+TAB. When the windows are maximized the title of the active window will display in the application menu bar at the top of the MDI. Click the Restore icon next to the window title to reduce the size of the active window. All open windows in the MDI will return to their previous size.

General information on windows 

Locating information using a search window

Search windows such as the Customer window (Customer Search icon) are used to locate a specific record in the database. Open the Customer window and enter customer information in the Search Criteria section to locate a customer record. Click the Refresh icon to update the records in the window. The Refresh icon is the default action of the window since the icon displays to the left of the other icons. The default icon on any window can be selected by pressing ENTER. The default icon will change based on which action is generally selected. For example, when a customer record is highlighted in the Customer window (Customer Search icon) the Open icon will become the default icon rather than the Refresh icon so that you can open the customer record by pressing ENTER.

Displaying all of the records in the window 

After the Refresh icon has been clicked, only records that match the information entered in the Search Criteria section will display in the window. If there are a large amount of records that match the entered criteria, some of the records may not be loaded into the window. If all of the records have not been loaded into the window, the Incomplete icon   will display in the bottom right corner of the window. Click on the Incomplete icon to load all of the records that match the search criteria in the window. The Complete icon   will display in the bottom right corner of the window if all records have been loaded into the window. 

Using grids

When a window displays information in a grid (for example, the customer information at the bottom of the Customer window is displayed in a grid), you can manipulate what information will display and how it will be sorted and organized in the window. You can also select a sortable column in a grid and begin typing to jump to a specific spot in that column.

Changes to how the information displays in the window will only affect how the information is displayed for your user account. It will not affect how the window displays for other users. 

Exporting the information in a grid

After the grid has been manipulated, you can export the grid to an MS Excel spreadsheet. This allows you to export any information that displays in a grid to an MS Excel spreadsheet.

Using maintenance windows

Maintenance windows such as the Customer Maintenance window (Customer Search icon > Open a customer record) are used to modify records. Some of the maintenance windows are opened from search windows, but many of the maintenance windows function as both a maintenance window and search window. These maintenance windows have two sections; one section will display the records that have been created in the database and the other section will display the information associated with the highlighted record. For example, the Bank Maintenance window (SS> Maintenance> Bank) will display a list of banks in the database in the left section of the window and the information of the selected bank in the Maintenance section in the right section of the window. 

Many of the maintenance windows have fields where you attach previously created records to a new record, such as attaching GL accounts to a fee code. These fields generally have a field label that is underlined (example). Click the field label on the maintenance window to select the record from a list. For example, clicking the Revenue Account field label on the Fee Code Maintenance window (UB> Maintenance> Fee Code) will open a list of GL accounts to select from.

Using multiple function icons 

Some icons at the top of windows have multiple functions. If an icon has multiple functions, a drop-down menu will display next to the icon. Click on the drop-down menu to display a menu and select the function of the icon. For example, the Create icon   on the Service Rates Selection window (UB> Maintenance> Service Rate) has two functions: create a service rate revision and create a new service rate code. Click the drop-down menu to select which you would like to create.

Exiting windows 

You can exit any window by pressing ESCAPE, clicking the Exit icon   on the window or closing the window. If you try to exit a window before the changes have been saved, an information window will open. This validation ensures that information entered into a window is saved.

Generating Reports 

All reports and most processes are run on the application server rather than your workstation. You can view the progress of those jobs using the Jobs Viewer window (Jobs Viewer icon). If you are creating a report, you can also open that report using the Jobs Viewer window. 

If you create a report from the Reports palette of a module (such as GL> Reports), that report is automatically archived on the server. For example, if you generate a Trial Balance Report in the General Ledger module (GL> Reports> Trial Balance), the generation of the report will display as a job on the Jobs Viewer window. Once the report is complete, you can open the report from the Jobs Viewer window or from the View Reports window (SS> Utilities> View Reports). 

The View Reports window allows you to open any report that has been archived on the server. Reports that are generated in a batch process are not archived on the server, so they cannot be opened from the View Reports window.

Using the application 

If you are new to the application, open the index pages of the modules you will be using.  The index pages give a brief overview of a module and include links to more detailed documents on specific topics. 

Many of the module index pages also contain flowcharts that display how the processes in that module interface. The flowcharts give a basic understanding of how the module is structured, how the batch processes generate transactions and how they interface with other modules.

If you are also using the Cash Receipts module, you will also have to set up Cash Receipts module security that defines which users and which workstations can be used to enter cash receipts.