|
Softshare WebCATS Online HelpThere are two ways to navigate this help file. You can browse the Frequently Asked Questions section to see if your particular question is a common one and is answered in detail here, or you can browse the table of contents to find more general information regarding WebCATS' interface and various features. Either way, you should find this help file easy to read and navigate. Skip to the Frequently Asked Questions Table of ContentsIn this help, the following main topics are discussed:
 Frequently Asked Questions
System Requirements
Accessing WebCATS
Understanding Permissions
Navigating WebCATS
Viewing Records
Filtering Records
Subsets
MyWebCATS
Creating Records
Understanding Fields and Features in Records
Editing Records
Deleting Records
Reports
DLA and SBA-Mandated Reports (Worksheets)
Sending E-mail
Bid Match Program
Note: The WebCATS component of your Softshare 'CATS solution is meant to be used in your daily client activity tracking and reporting activities. WebCATS is not responsible for the administration of Softshare 'CATS. All administrative setup for Softshare 'CATS is performed in WinCATS. This includes setting up user accounts and permissions, global configurations, center records, and WebCATS notices (both public and private). For information on performing these setup steps, see the Softshare 'CATS Database Administrator Guide, available for download from Softshare eService. Frequently Asked QuestionsHave a burning question? Browse our FAQs to see if others have had the same question. You may just find that quick answer or those exact step-by-step instructions you're looking for. But even if you don't find the answer to your specific question here, remember that this help file covers all topics from a general overview standpoint and it's likely that you'll be able to find your answer or extrapolate the necessary steps from other areas of this help file. FAQs are organized by the following topics:
Reporting & Subsetting
General
Grouping Records Based on Criteria They Have in Common (via Reports & Subsetting)
Custom Reports
EDMIS Sending E-Mail
General Viewing, Creating, Editing, and Deleting of Records
Client Records
Contact Records
Counseling Session Records
Conference Records
MyWebCATS
EDMIS
Bid Match Program
Search Profiles
Bid Match Output and Delivery
General Bid Match Program ManagementSystem RequirementsAll that is needed to run WebCATS is a computer with access to the Internet and Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher installed. Other browser types including Netscape, Firefox, and earlier versions of Internet Explorer are not supported. Note: If you use pop-up blockers, Softshare recommends disabling it for your WebCATS URL as it may prohibit some of WebCATS' features from displaying. Logging into WebCATSTo log into WebCATS, open Internet Explorer and enter the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) used to access your center's WebCATS installation in the browser Address field. If you do not know what URL to use to access WebCATS, consult your system administrator. When you initially access WebCATS, a log-in screen displays as shown below. This screen lists any public WebCATS notices enabled for your Softshare 'CATS installation and contains fields for entering your user ID and password.
When you log into WebCATS, you do so using a user account ID and password initially set up by a system administrator in WinCATS. You cannot view user account settings from WebCATS; however, you can request a Permissions report for your user account from your system administrator. For more information on permissions, see Understanding Permissions. Enter your administrator-defined user ID and password in the fields provided in the log-in screen, then click Log in. The password field in the log-in screen is case sensitive but the user ID field is not. Logging OutWhen you are finished with your WebCATS session, it is important to log out for the following reasons:
To log out of WebCATS, click the Log Out button in the upper title bar. This displays the WebCATS log-in screen. At this point, you cannot use your browser’s Back button to return to your WebCATS session. If you need to log back in, you must do so manually from the log-in screen.
WebCATS will automatically log you out if you are inactive for an hour.
The exception to this is if the inactivity occurs while
you're in the middle of editing a record. In this case,
WebCATS gives you eight hours of inactivity before automatically
logging you off. The inactivity status of a record that is in the
process of being edited displays in
the bottom left corner of the screen, as shown in the next graphic.
Understanding PermissionsA client account, also known as a user, consists of a user name and password and a set of permissions. When you log into WebCATS, it is your client account that determines your level of access to the database. To see the permissions assigned to your account, request a Permissions report from your system administrator. This report displays the following information for your user account:
Home CenterThe home center is the center you are most closely affiliated with. WebCATS assumes that you are most interested in the data of your home center and, for this reason, makes the home center the current active center when you initially log in. Assuming you have the appropriate view permissions, you can change the current active center to a center other than your home center, as discussed in Switching Between Centers.
Default CounselorWhen you create new records, WebCATS automatically completes the records’ Counselor fields with the default counselor that is associated with your user account. Default Funding SourceThe default funding source is the funding source you most commonly work under. When you create new records, WebCATS automatically completes the records’ Funding Source fields with the default funding source that is associated with your user account. If your account has a funding source lock associated with it, it will display underneath the default funding source, as shown in the following illustration.
There are two types of funding source locks that can be placed on your user account:
Client ID LockIf the phrase "User is not permitted to edit client IDs" displays underneath your account's default funding source, you will not be able to edit client IDs in existing records or overwrite the system-defined client IDs automatically generated for new client records. MyWebCATS User LockIf your user account locks user selection for MyWebCATS, you will not be able to view recently edited records that were created by any user account other than yours from the MyWebCATS interface. Permission Level for Each Database Area and CenterThe Softshare 'CATS database is broken down into seven areas. For each database area, a set of permissions is listed. If you have a permission type for a particular database area at more than one center, the center IDs at which you have that permission are listed after the colon, as shown in the next graphic. If you have a permission for a particular database area at all centers, then there is no center ID listing, also shown in the next graphic.
For each database area listed, there are six total permissions that can be assigned to your account:
Navigating WebCATSWhen you log into WebCATS, you're presented with a split-pane view. The left pane, called the navigation menu, displays the basic commands you can use in WebCATS. The right pane, called the view pane, displays the details of the record or feature you're currently working with.
The following sections review key navigation tools that display in each WebCATS screen: Navigation MenuThe WebCATS navigation menu lists the activities or commands that you can perform in WebCATS, organized under six major categories: View, eCenter, Add, Tools, Other, and Help. Depending on the permissions settings configured for your user account as well as your center's general Softshare 'CATS configuration, you may not see some commands. You can collapse or expand any of the menu categories by clicking the - or + button that displays to the left of each category. To execute a command, simply click it. The following table lists the commands available on the WebCATS navigation menu, briefly summarizing each command’s purpose.
Back ButtonDue to WebCATS' extensive use of frames and server-side scripting, you may not always be able to return to previously accessed WebCATS screens using Internet Explorer's Back button. Instead, you should use WebCATS' Back button, which appears in the title bar of each WebCATS screen, to return to a previously displayed record or view. Recent Visits ListAlso included in the title bar of each WebCATS screen is the Recent Visits drop-down list, a system-maintained listing of the records and views that you have accessed during the current WebCATS session (starting with the current view and ending with the least recent one). Like the WebCATS Back button, the Recent Visits drop-down list can be used to navigate to previously displayed WebCATS views. To return to a particular view listed in the Recent Visits drop-down, simply select that view from the list, as shown in the next graphic.
Note: The Recent Visits list may not include some previously accessed WebCATS views, including record add and edit views. Also, views that were accessed more than once during the current session will not be listed multiple times. Viewing RecordsTo view a record in WebCATS, first open the category of records you would like to view. For example, if you would like to view counseling sessions, select View|Counseling Sessions from the left navigation menu. This displays a summary listing of counseling session records, as shown in the next graphic. You can sort this summary view using any of the columns by simply clicking the column title.
Note: Only records that belong to the current active center and match the default filter settings (see Filtering Records) initially display in a summary listing. In the upper portion of each summary view, one or more buttons display. These buttons allow you to perform actions for the listed records such as reporting on them or e-mailing the contacts found within the records, to name a few of the available actions. There are four common action buttons found in summary views, each discussed in other areas of this help:
To review additional details for one of the records shown in the summary list, click the corresponding record name (for client/company, counselor, contact, or conference records), date (for client activity, inquiry, or list records) or request number (for eCenter counseling or conference request records). This displays a view-only version of the record like the one shown in the next graphic.
The following sections cover some additional considerations that apply when viewing record data in WebCATS: Switching Between CentersAlthough WebCATS initially displays only records associated with your home center upon login, you can review records associated with a different center (assuming you have the appropriate view permissions) by using the Tools|Select Center navigation menu command to switch between centers. Clicking Tools|Select Center displays a list of centers configured for your Softshare 'CATS database, as shown in the next graphic. To begin viewing records for one of the centers in this list, simply click its name. You'll be taken to the client/company summary record listing and, from there, can navigate to other record types or tasks.
Note: Centers that have an inactive status do not display for selection in WebCATS. The center for which you are currently viewing records in WebCATS is known as your active center. In WebCATS, only one center can be active at any given time. You cannot view summarized records associated with more than one center at a time except in special cases, as when viewing "All Centers" subset output (see Subsets); records associated with line items on a multiple-center worksheet (see Working with Worksheets); the activity history list for a client, contact, or counselor record (see Activity History List); the results of a quick search (see Quick Searches); the *Last Client View; or the results of a duplicate record check. Note: You cannot edit center information from WebCATS, regardless of the permissions defined for your account. Center records can only be created, updated, or deleted from WinCATS. Viewing Related RecordsBecause WebCATS is a Web application, it takes advantage of hyperlinks. These hyperlinks allow you to quickly jump to related records and information, as shown in the next graphic. Wherever you see blue text, there's a hyperlink waiting to be clicked.
Activity History List
In WebCATS, client/company, contact, and counselor records include a special feature called an activity history list. Activity history lists display in the lower pane of an open record, as shown in the next graphic.
For a client record, this list summarizes the client's activity (counseling sessions, awards, investments, milestones, and survey responses). Please note that if a client participates in a counseling session that multiple counselors are assigned to, that counseling session will be listed multiple times in the client's activity history list. For a contact record, this list summarizes all inquiries made by the contact, all lists the contact is a member of, and all surveys the contact has responded to for all centers. For a counselor record, this list summarizes all activities (counseling sessions, awards, investments, milestones, and survey responses) as well as narratives and inquiries that the counselor participated in. Please note that if a counselor participates in a counseling session that multiple clients are assigned to, that counseling session will be listed multiple times in the counselor's activity history list. Similar to all record summary views, you can filter the records displayed in the activity history list. The filter criteria available for these records are date range, Reportable? setting, and funding source(s), as shown in the next graphic. For more information on filtering record summary views, see Filtering Records. Printing RecordsAlthough it is generally most convenient to print record data in WebCATS robust reporting features, as discussed in Reports, you can also print records directly from the record view screens, if needed. However, because the WebCATS interface includes multiple frames, record data may not print as expected if you print using Internet Explorer’s default settings. Rather than using the Internet Explorer File|Print command, follow these steps to print a record from WebCATS:
Note: Leave the Print frames option set to Only the selected frame. Filtering RecordsEach of the record types that you view in WebCATS has several filters that you can use to limit your display. For example, you can use filters to limit your client display to active clients only. Or your contact display to contacts whose last names begin with the letter "B." Or your counseling session display to initial counseling sessions that are funded by the SBA that took place on September 20, 2006. In other words, WebCATS' filtering features are incredibly flexible, allowing you to quickly drill down to the data you're looking for. The following table lists the filter options offered for each record type.
There are two filter types that can return records from centers other than the current active center:
See the following sections for details on each filter type:
Alphanumeric FiltersClient and contact records can be filtered alphabetically by client or contact name, using the alphabetic and numeric filter links that display at the top of the record summary screen. Each time you access client or contact records in WebCATS, the records are initially limited to only those client or contact names that begin with A. (Select the "(All)" option from the alphanumeric filter options if you want to view all records.) When filtering client records, an alphanumeric filter can be applied in combination with the four standard filter options (i.e. all clients and pre-clients, active clients only, pre-clients only, inactive clients only) as well as with saved subsets, as shown in the next graphic. This is only available for client records. Selecting an alphanumeric filter for contact records resets the display. For example, if you were viewing a subset consisting of service-disabled contacts and then clicked the "A" alphanumeric filter, WebCATS would display all contacts whose names began with the letter "A," regardless of their veteran statuses.
Record Status Filter BoxRecord types other than client and contact records are initially filtered by a logical set of criteria that displays at the top of a record summary list, as shown in the next graphic. The record status filter box criteria is automatically applied in combination with several other filter types. If you're viewing the most recent client summary view or the results of a previously-saved subset, the record status filter box's criteria will be applied to these filters' criteria to create the most restrictive possible filter settings. Displaying a limited group of records rather than all records helps minimize the amount of time and server resources required to switch from one record view to another in WebCATS. WebCATS initially limits a record status filter box's criteria using the default filters listed in the next table.
Note: For tips for specifying date ranges, funding sources, and counseling-session-specific filter criteria such as "client hours," refer to the next three sections of this help.
The following sections describe some special considerations that apply when specifying date ranges and funding source selections in your WebCATS filter criteria. Filtering by Date RangeThe following table outlines the various ways in which you can have WebCATS interpret your date ranges, and the appropriate way to configure your date range criteria fields in each case.
Some record types allow you to select differing fields for the date range filter, as shown in the next graphic.
Specifically, four record types support multiple date range filters:
Note: Be aware that conference records with blank dates of the type selected from the drop-down list will always be considered by your view filters. For example, if you select "Approval," then conferences with blank approval dates or conference requests for conferences with blank approval dates, as well as those whose approval dates fall within the specified range, will display in your filtered summary view. This is not a concern for milestone or investment records because the date fields considered in the filter criteria for these record types are always mandatory if present. Filtering by Funding SourceUnlike other types of WebCATS filter criteria, the Funding Source(s) filter criterion available in the record status filter box for most record types can have more than one associated value. For example, you can create a filter that limits your display to records with a funding source of "DLA," "SBA," and "Other Federal." To edit the funding source selections in your filter settings, click the + button that displays to the right of the Funding Source(s) caption. This displays a selection list of all available system- and user-defined funding sources, as shown in the next graphic. Make your selections by clicking the check box to the left of each funding source that you want your filter settings to consider. You can use the "(All)" and "(None)" options in the associated drop-down list to select or clear all check boxes.
Note: If the default funding source for your user account is locked for reporting, you cannot filter or view records based on any other funding sources. For more information on funding source locks, see Default Funding Source. Counseling-Session-Specific CriteriaIf you're filtering counseling sessions, you have the option of only showing counseling session records for clients or counselors who have had a certain amount of total counseling time. For example, you could choose to only return counseling session records that belong to clients who have had at least 5 or more hours of counseling, as shown in the next graphic.
It's important to note that this is an indirect counseling session record filter. You are not filtering individual counseling sessions that fall within this hour range; you are identifying the clients or counselors whose total hours of counseling session time fall within this hour range and then only displaying counseling session records for those clients or counselors. Another counseling-session-specific option is the ability to display results by client, counselor, or unique session. These display options are especially helpful if your center's counseling session records support the assignment of multiple clients and/or counselors, as discussed in Assigning Multiple Clients and Counselors to a Counseling Session Record. Most Recent Client Summary ViewThe most recent client summary view, displayed as "*Last Client View" from the Views drop-down menu and available for client activity records (i.e. counseling session, award, milestone, and investment records), lets you restrict the summary display to only those records that are associated with the client records that were most recently displayed in the client summary view. For example, if you were to view inactive clients from the client summary view and then filter award records by "*Last Client View," only awards belonging to inactive clients would display, as shown in the next graphic.
In the previous graphic, notice how there are six inactive clients, but only counseling sessions for two of them. It's likely that all of these inactive clients have had at least one counseling session, but because the "*Last Client View" works in combination with the filter box criteria, only counseling sessions within a 3-month date range are displayed. The "*Last Client View" drop-down option is available from the Views menu of a client activity summary view if the most recent client summary view represents client records that have been filtered by:
Unlike the other views available as drop-downs from the Views menus, the "*Last Client View" is not restricted to records from the current active center. It will display all records related to the previously displayed client records, regardless of the center they belong to. Note: If the most recent client summary view was simply a listing of all client records without any filters applied, the "*Last Client View" option becomes redundant with the "All <Counseling Sessions>/<Awards>/<Milestones>/<Investments>" views and, therefore, is not provided as a view option. Quick SearchesWebCATS provides a quick search filter for client and contact records. This filter lets you:
The quick search feature is available from two locations in WebCATS. The most prominent location is at the top of the client or contact record summary screen. The other location is from the Views field's drop-down menu. both of these locations are highlighted in the following graphic.
Depending on the global configurations in place for your program, these two quick search features may not perform the same search. It's possible that the Quick Search field at the top of the screen may only return records from the current active center while the "[Quick Search]" option from the drop-down menu can return records from all centers. Other possible configurations are that both quick search features search across all centers or, conversely, both are restricted to the current active only. You'll be able to see which configuration is in place for your program based on the (1) the available center search criterion (when using the [Quick Search] picklist option under the Views field) and (2) how returned records are labeled in the Views field (when using the Quick Search field that is present from the client or contact record summary view). To perform a Quick Search, enter the company name, e-mail address, first and/or last contact name, or ID you are searching for. You can use the question mark (?) wildcard character to substitute for any single character in your keyword string or the asterisk (*) wildcard character to substitute for any combination of characters. You can search for multiple keywords, but if you do, all keywords must be present in a record in order for it to be returned as a match. Your search terms will generate matches when they appear anywhere in the fields being searched; for example, entering the keyword "smith" in the Find field of a client record quick search will cause your search to match on client records that contain "smith," by itself or as part of a bigger word, in their IDs, company names, company e-mail addresses or primary point of contact first or last names. You do not need to enter any wildcard characters at the beginning or end of your keyword(s) in order for this to occur.Note: Searches are not case sensitive, nor are their results influenced by any other filters you may have in place at the time you perform a quick search. SubsetsSubset filters let you narrow your record summary views down to a group of records that meet the same user-defined criteria. For example, you could create a subset of client records that consists of all companies that have a Web site. Or, you could create a subset of counseling session records that consists of all counseling sessions with a duration of one hour or more in contact time. In this section, we'll discuss the following topics: What Are Subsets and How Do They Differ From Reports?Subsets and reports are two very different features. And while their functionality sometimes overlaps, typically they are used in conjunction with one another. Subsets are used to organize a group of records based on criteria they have in common. Reports are used to format and display the data found within a grouping of records. For example, you could use a subset to isolate all woman-owned businesses and then generate a report that displays the addresses of those woman-owned businesses. Creating SubsetsWhen creating a subset, you determine which records are returned by selecting the fields you would like to query for particular values. For example, a subset can be as simple as finding all counseling sessions ever provided under the counseling area of "eCommerce." Or, it can be as sophisticated as finding all companies that are located in the 18th district, have five or more employees, have a Web site, and have received counseling from your center within the last 30 days. Your subset can incorporate criteria from a limitless number of fields found in the record type you are subsetting on. The more fields you include, the more restrictive the criteria for your subset. Once you establish the fields you would like to query, the next step is to establish the values those fields must contain (or not contain) in order for a record to become part of the subset's results. You can create subsets for all record types except mailing list records, bid match history records, and survey response records. The steps required to create subsets are summarized as follows:
As discussed in Saved Subsets, your subset is saved for the current active center and, by default, is available whenever that center is designated as active. Also discussed in Saved Subsets, it's important to note that center selection is not saved along with the subset. Instead, center selection remains dynamic for saved subsets. Saved subsets will return records from the current active center--and the current active center only, regardless of which centers you chose in step 5.
Narrowing the record summary view to an incredibly specific set of records is a very powerful capability in and of itself. However, you can make it even more powerful by performing any of the following actions on your subset:
Understanding Special Calculated FieldsWhen creating a subset for a particular record type, the subset criteria that is available to you corresponds directly with the fields found in that record type. For example, an award record consists of 20 data entry fields and, therefore, when creating a subset of award records, there are 20 fields you can choose from to make up your subset criteria, as shown in the next graphic.
Some record types also offer "special calculated" fields in their subset field selections. Special calculated fields are denoted with asterisks and they evaluate data from other record types or from multiple fields. For example, client subsets support a large number of special calculated fields that return records based on the existence of related client activity records, as shown in the next graphic.
Special calculated fields are available when creating client, contact, and counseling session record subsets. The following table lists the special calculated fields available for each of these subset types and how their values are determined when chosen as subset criterion.
Working With Subset Criteria FieldsAfter you have selected the fields that you would like to subset on, you must specify values for those fields. For example, if you decide to subset counseling session records based on the topic of counseling that was provided, you need to specify which counseling topic(s) you want to restrict to. Or, if you want to subset counseling session records based on a word or phrase entered into the session's notes, you need to specify the word or phrase you're searching for. Both of these are easy enough to do, but because counseling session topic is specified using a drop-down field in a counseling session record and notes are entered into a free-form text field, the values for these two subset criteria are designated very differently. The following four sections highlight the various options you are presented with when configuring values for your chosen subset criteria. Check Box SelectionsWhen fields with drop-down menus are included in your subset, WebCATS presents the various values as check box selections when establishing subset criteria. For example, when subsetting milestone records based on the Milestone Type field, all milestone types are presented as individual check boxes, as shown in the next graphic.
When you are presented with multiple check boxes for a field, you can select as many as you wish. Selecting multiple check boxes creates an "or" statement. For example, if you were to select "Business Expansion" and "Business Closed" for the previous graphic, WebCATS would return milestone records of either type. Date Range FieldsWhen date fields are included in your subset, WebCATS presents a set of date range fields. You can use these fields to specify a fixed date range with a definitive start and end date, as shown in the next graphic. Or, you can specify an open-ended date range (i.e. consider all records in the system entered before or after a particular date) by clearing either the start or end date.
Date range fields are always accompanied by the Select non-matching records? option. When selected, this option indicates that the subset should return records that fall outside of the specified date range. In other words, this option excludes records that fall within the date range you provide. Free-Form Text FieldsWhen free-form text fields such as city or ZIP code are included in your subset, you'll also use free-form text to establish subset criteria for those fields. You can use wildcards and "or" statements when entering text to match on, as discussed in the next two sections. As with date range fields, free-form text fields are always accompanied by the Select non-matching records? option. When selected, this option indicates that the subset should return records that don't contain the keyword you're searching for. WildcardsWebCATS supports two wildcards: the asterisk (*) and the question mark (?). The asterisk substitutes for an unlimited number of characters. For example, if you are searching for records with ZIP codes that begin with "93", you can enter "93*" into the ZIP code subset field. This would return contacts with ZIP codes of 93101, 93010, 93030, and so on.
The question mark substitutes for a single character. For example, if you are searching by a contact's first name, but can't remember if it's spelled "Lisa" or "Liza," you can enter "Li?a" into the subset field. This would return contacts with first names of Lisa or Liza. Note: If you don't use wildcards at the beginning and end of your keyword, then the field must contain that keyword and that keyword ONLY to match. For example, if you search on "Santa" in a city name field, companies or contacts in Santa Barbara will not be returned. However, if you search on "Santa*", then companies or contacts in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Santa Cruz, and so on will be returned. When searching fields with paragraphs of text such as comment, note, or product/service description fields, it is especially important to keep this in mind because a word or phrase located in the middle of a sentence will not match unless you have surrounded your keyword search with asterisks. "Or" StatementsYou can place commas (,) between your keywords to create an "or" statement for that particular subset text field. For example, as shown in the next graphic, you could enter something like "*step*,*stair*" as the text field criteria. This would return all client records with either or both of these words in their Product/Service Description fields.
Yes/No Check BoxesWhen yes/no check box fields such as a conference record's Is SBA888? or Sponsored by Center? field are included in your subset, you'll also use that same check box format to establish subset criteria for those fields, as shown in the next graphic.
Saved SubsetsIf you are creating a subset that will be commonly used by yourself or others, you have the option to save that subset (as described in step 7 of the subset creation process). All subset criteria, with the exception of center selection, is saved. In other words, even though you may create and save a subset that designates that one, more, or all centers contribute to the output, this center selection is not saved along with the subset. Instead, center selection remains dynamic for saved subsets. Saved subsets will return records from the current active center--and the current active center only. In addition, saved subsets are only available when the current active center is the same center that was active at the time the subset was originally created and saved. However, you can choose to share saved subsets with all centers, as described in Managing Saved Subsets. The saved subsets that are available for the current active center display for selection from the drop-down menu of the Counseling Session Views field, as shown in the next graphic.
Note: Not all subsets can be saved. Only client, counseling session, milestone, investment, and award record subsets can be saved. Strategies for Creating and Using Saved SubsetsWhen you select a saved subset as the view for an activity record type, that subset's criteria is applied in combination with the criteria of the record status filter box, as shown in the next graphic. The biggest advantage to this is that you can easily generate commonly-used subsets for different date ranges, without having to recreate the subset each time.
However, this can pose conflicts if both filter methods share the same criteria. For example, let's assume for a moment that you have saved a counseling session subset that returns all counseling sessions that occurred in the first quarter of 2006. If you were to open this subset in 2007, it's likely that no records would display. Why? Because the record status filter box typically restricts records to the most recent three months. So even though we know that there are many counseling session records that should meet the saved subset criteria, none are displayed because the filter box's date range is being applied to a subset of records whose dates do not fall into the filter box's date range. The two date range criteria cancel each other out and you would need to alter the filter box date range to encompass the subset date range in order for any records to be returned. Because of this potential conflict, Softshare recommends that you create saved subsets for client activity records with those record types' filter boxes in mind. In other words, think twice before using criteria in your saved subset that could be overridden by that record type's filter box criteria. Date range, funding source, and reportable status should generally be avoided as subset criteria. And then, depending on the activity record type that you are creating the saved subset for as well as your default filter criteria for each activity record type, there are probably other fields you will want to avoid as well. For example, if you save an award subset that restricts awards to sub-contract awards, but your award record filter box is set to restrict awards to prime contract awards, your two filters will be in conflict. Managing Saved SubsetsA listing of saved subsets can be viewed from WebCATS' Subset Management interface. Available by selecting Tools|Manage Subsets, all saved subsets are displayed by record type category, as shown in the next graphic.
To view the details of any saved subset, click the subset title and WebCATS will display the criteria (in SQL query format) that the subset uses to query the database. Although the SQL query language is not very user-friendly, you should still be able to get a good feeling for the criteria that makes up the subset. Users with edit/delete permissions for a particular form can also edit/delete saved subsets related to that form, or share those subsets with users from other centers. To edit, share, or delete a saved subset, click the Edit button that corresponds to the record type the subset is listed under. This displays an editable view of that record type's subsets' titles and SQL queries, as shown in the next graphic.
If you edit the subset SQL query, Softshare strongly recommends that you click the Check Criteria button before saving your changes. Clicking this button will tell you if you have any query language errors or are referencing incorrect database column names; or, if the query is accurate, you'll see the number of matching records in the database. MyWebCATS
MyWebCATS is a pop-up window that displays a listing of timely events affecting your user account. It's available by selecting View|MyWebCATS from the navigation menu or, depending on your settings, it may automatically open upon login to WebCATS. You can disable or enable automatic opening upon login by selecting or deselecting the Show this window upon login? option located at the bottom of the MyWebCATS window. MyWebCATS features five types of events:
By default, MyWebCATS has system-defined filters in place for each event type to make them more relevant to your user account. For example, when viewing client follow-ups, you'll initially only see those clients whose primary counselor is the counselor that matches the default counselor associated with your user account. You can modify the default filter settings for each event type, either temporarily or permanently, in the same manner as you would modify the filter settings for a summary of client activity records. Note: As with other record listings, you can click on any blue hyperlink that displays in the MyWebCATS window to open its related record or to generate an e-mail message. Creating Records
WebCATS closely tracks the interaction between your center and your center's clients. To accomplish this, it features 15 record types, each tailored to a specific aspect of client and client activity tracking. Some of these record types are created by administrators only (center records) and some are automatically created by WebCATS based on certain events (counseling and conference request records), but, for the most part, WebCATS users create the records that contain client and related client activity information. Most WebCATS records are created using the same basic procedures. However, unique creation and behavioral considerations do apply to each record type. For information on these considerations, see the following sections:
Note: By default, new records that you create in WebCATS are automatically associated with the current active center rather than the home center established for your user account. For this reason, you cannot add new records while at a center that you do not have appropriate record add permissions configured; you must first switch to a center where you have the appropriate permissions established before creating your record. Note: If some of the record types discussed in this chapter are not available for creation from WebCATS' left-hand menu, it's either because you do not have the necessary permissions to create those record types or because a database administrator has chosen to disable them for the entire program. Creating Client Records
Client records track information for companies that receive services from your center. If you want to attribute counseling sessions, awards, milestones, investments or survey responses to a client, then the client record must be present in the database. Client records can also be used to track companies that are not yet clients. Called pre-clients, this type of client record represents companies that you have some type of relationship with, but who aren't receiving qualifying services from your center. As described in Client Status, a company can start out as a pre-client in your database and then easily be promoted to client status. There are three ways to create a new client record:
Looking for specifics on some of the fields and features found in client records? Visit Understanding Client Records. Using the Client Merlin to Create a Client RecordThe Client Merlin is used to create new client records. It prompts you for company and contact information for the new client (or pre-client). The company information that you provide makes up the resulting client record. The contact information that you provide makes up the client's associated primary contact record. Note: Your system administrator determines which fields are present in the Client Merlin and of those, which are mandatory and which are optional. In general, the Merlin is meant to be used as a quick, convenient method for creating associated client and contact records and not all fields are necessarily accounted for. You may want to open the resulting records to complete additional information that is important to your operations. Perform the following steps to create a new client record using the Client Merlin.
Note: A contact record can only be associated with a single client record. For this reason, if you choose to associate an existing contact record with the new client record you are creating, WebCATS only presents contact records that are not currently associated with clients for selection. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.gif)
.gif)
.gif)
.gif)
.gif)
.gif)
.gif)
.gif)
