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Projects > Element Definitions

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Overview

The Element Definitions page is used for managing elements within your system. It is accessed by selecting the Main Menu, choosing the Projects menu, and clicking Element Definitions.

By default, your system will include pre-configured definitions that fit a wide array of needs, but you can add as many as you'd like. For example, if you have multiple locations within your business, you may wish to create a financial document like a Quote for each location. This allows you to customize element settings to accommodate business needs that may differ from location to location. 

Element definition settings are unique between definition class types, but there are some standard settings that are available for all types. By customizing the settings within, the element definition can be set up to meet the needs of a wide variety of business uses.

Definition Class Types

There are currently seven classes of element definitions that can be used to create an element:

  • Contact List
    • This is used to assign labor roles or contacts to dates, locations, or times; like in a Crew Call.
  • Equipment List
    • This is used to assign equipment to dates, locations, or times; like in a Pull Sheet.
  • Expense Worksheet
    • This is used to track expenses related to a job.
  • Financial Document
    • This is used to assign price and cost values to equipment and services for specific dates, locations, or times; like in a Quote.
  • File List
    • This is used for uploading documents or linking URLs.
  • Standard Project Element
    • This is used to organize your element definitions; like in an Event Folder.
  • Task Element
    • This is used to assign tasks to system users, which will show up on the user's To-Do List.
Please note that some tabs are only available for certain Element Definition classes.

Cloning an Element Definition

You can clone any Element Definition and copy all of the configurations from the original element to the new element. 

  1. Go to the Projects menu and click Element Definitions.
  2. Select the "..." menu of the element you would like to clone and choose Clone Definition.
  3. Edit the applicable information in the "Clone Element" popup and click OK.

General Settings Tab

The General Settings tab is used for managing higher-level settings of an element definition. For example, the Name of the element, move/copy enabled, selecting the workflow, etc. 

NOTE: When Currency Enabled is set to No, you will not be able to view the Currency field within the New/Edit element popup. Instead, the Currency must be provided by what is selected in the element's Client, Vendor, or Business Location field.

Field Settings Tab

The Field Settings tab will allow you to enable certain fields within the element definition. For example, Deposit, Due Date, Referral Source, Shipping Method, and many more. You can also set these fields to be required, inherit from an upstream document, or disable them from being overridden.

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When the field is set to Override=No, a lock will be present in the field and can not be edited. This value will inherit from the parent element.

When the field is set to inherit and can be overridden, the value will be inherited upon initial element generation (via workflow). Any changes to the field after the element is generated is not expected to be updated.

Numbering Tab

The Numbering tab is used for determining the numbering behavior of the element definition and where you will set the numbering scheme. When selecting a sequential by year numbering scheme, the following fields will be present:

  • Sequential By Year Start Sequence: This is the value that will be used when starting a new year. By default, this is value is "0".
  • Sequential By Year Sequence: Depending on the selected numbering scheme, you will see a button named "Edit Sequences" or "Edit Common Pool Sequences". When selecting either option, you will receive a popup and will be able to edit the sequence for each year listed. Keep in mind, you will only be able to edit sequences for a year after at least one element has been created for that year. All changes are saved after clicking out of the sequence field or selecting the Enter/Tab key. You can not go backward in sequence. Changes here are permanent and cannot be undone.
    • If you type a number in the sequence field by mistake, before clicking out or pressing the Enter/Tab key, you can select the esc key to revert the changes.

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Status Options Tab

On the Status Options tab, you can adjust settings that affect how statuses are applied to the element, as well as which Status Options are permitted for the element.

By default, the Status Edit Mode is set to "Only Workflow Actions Can Change Status" and only the applied workflow (that was set in General Settings) will change the status. However, you can adjust that to "Manual Changes Permitted" if you want to have the ability to override the status.  

A permitted status will determine what statuses are visible in Calendar Settings > Element Types, Element Definitions > Search Options, and Element Definition > Reports Tab > Definition Level Reports. Settings made here will control how elements are displayed, categorized, and reported. 

Child Elements Tab

The Child Elements tab will determine which elements can be added as a child element. Once enabled, you will be able to see those options within  Add Child Elements on the workbench menu of the element. For example, you might add a "Task" to a Quote element so you can create tasks that relate to the Quote, or you may add a "Credit Memo" to an Invoice.

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Reports Tab

The Reports tab can be used to manage reports related to the element. You can create a “stack” of reports that will print as one PDF when you click the Generate PDF option from any element. For example, you can print a single PDF that includes a cover page, a Quote, and a terms and conditions page.

To customize the Default Print Format Report:

  1. Click the Add New Reports icon.
  2. Select a Report, Corporate Identity, and Location.
    • The Sub-Report field will only be used when selecting a Sub-report Aggregation report.

The Default Element Level Report setting is specifically used for Aggregation reports and will determine which report is selected by default.

The Element Level Reports will determine which reports populate within Reports on the workbench menu of the element. The Definition Level Reports will determine which reports populate within the Reports menu, located on the Main Menu. You may also select which status(es) will be included when the Definition Level Reports are generated. For example, you may only want to enable "Confirmed" Quotes in certain reports to ensure that "Canceled" or "Inquiry" Quotes are not included. Keep in mind that when no status is enabled, all statuses will be included in the generated report.

Contact Associations Tab

The Contact Associations tab is where you will manage contact and location fields related to the element. For example, you can enable rows such as Responsible Person (often known as the Account Manager), Business Location, Client, Venue, etc.

You can set the row(s) to be required, inherited, or determine if the field can be overridden. After a row is enabled, the caption will automatically populate but you can click into the Caption field to manually adjust it. Some rows also provide a "User Default" option. When that is set to yes and the row is enabled, the user's name will automatically populate in that field when creating a new element. 

Also in this tab is an Email Templates column that is available for the Client and Vendor rows. This will determine what template is used when selecting the Send to Client/Vendor option within the element.

Located at the bottom of the tab are the Default Business Location and Default Corporate Identity settings. When that is set, the element will automatically populate the selected option in the Business Location or Corporate Identity fields when creating a new element.

Security Tab

The Security tab will allow you to change the individual security settings per element. By default, no security restrictions are in place and all security groups will be set to "Grant". For simplicity, a column that has no restrictions set will appear blank. Once a security group is manually set to "Deny", the rest of the groups will then show as "Grant". For example, if Shop Techs should not be allowed to edit Quotes, you would set the Edit column to "Deny" and all other security groups will automatically be set to "Grant". Any user(s) that are a part of the Shop Techs security group will not be allowed to edit Quotes.

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  • View: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to view the element.
  • Edit: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to edit the element.
  • Associated View: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to view the element unless their default corporate identity matches the element's, or they are the person responsible. If no corporate identity is set on the element, they will not be able to view it.
  • Associated Edit: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to edit the element unless their default corporate identity matches the element's, or they are the person responsible. If no corporate identity is set on the element, they will not be able to edit it.
  • Non-Responsible Person View: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to view the element unless they are the "Responsible Person".
  • Non-Responsible Person Edit: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to edit the element unless they are the "Responsible Person".
  • Alternative Corp. ID View: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to view the element unless their user's default corporate identity matches the element's. However, if the element does not have a Corporate ID set, there are no restrictions. 
  • Alternative Corp. ID Edit: If the user is a part of a group that is denied, they will not be able to edit the element unless their user's default corporate identity matches the element's. However, if the element does not have a Corporate ID set, there are no restrictions. 

Dates & Times Tab

As the name suggests, the Dates & Times tab is where you will manage dates and times related to the element. The Start and End date fields are important for calendar purposes and for determining availability needs. Since they serve such a great purpose, you can set these both to be required and ensure that an element is never created without a date. Though it is not required, enabling the time field is also useful for calculating availability. You can set a default time and it will automatically populate when creating a new element.

When the Auto Populate Child Dates setting is yes, any child element that is added will automatically inherit the dates from the element. For example, when adding an Invoice as a child element to the Quote, the Invoice will inherit the Quote's dates and/or times when Auto Populate Child Dates is set to yes within the Quote element. This does not pretain to child elements created via workflow.

When the Dates Inherited setting is yes, any element of this type will automatically inherit the dates from the parent element. This will apply if the element is created via workflow or added as a child element.

Custom Fields Tab

The Custom Fields tab is where you will add new fields to an element, that the system does not currently offer as an option. For example, you may want to add a "Valid Until" date field to a Quote to determine how long the information is good for. 

To add a new custom field, you'll need the following information:

  • Caption: The name of the field and how it will appear on elements.
  • Field Type: The type of field. For example, if you want it to be a free entry field, you will select "Text" or "Text Area". If this is a date field, you will select "Date" or "Date/Time". If the custom field is no longer in use, select "Disabled". 
  • Required: When set to "Yes", selecting an option will be required within this field.

Custom Field values can be inherited from the parent element to the child element. For example, you may want a value entered on the Quote to inherit to the generated Invoice. As long as the same "Field Type" is selected for the matching "Name" (IE Custom Field 1 to Custom Field 1), the value will automatically be inherited.

Search Options Tab

The Search Options tab is where you will adjust the search columns related to the element. Once a Menu option is selected in the General Settings tab, you can navigate to that menu and view all of the elements within your system. Click here for more information on searching for elements.

By default, the menu will provide search columns such as Name, Number, Parent Name, Start and End Date, etc. However, you can adjust these columns to your company's needs. For example, if you have multiple business locations, you may want to add the "Business Location" field type so you can filter and only view elements that have that location selected.

To adjust the Search Options:

  1. Click the Add a new Option row icon.
  2. Enter a caption and select a Field Type (you can scroll through the list or type in keywords to narrow down the list). 
    • If the Field Type is a date or cost field, you can select a Format Mask.

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NOTE: Once added, you can reorder the rows by dragging and dropping them.

Line Item Options Tab

This tab was formerly known as "Allowed Resource Types" and "Expense Worksheet Options." The Line Item Options tab is where you can adjust line settings related to the element and is only available for Financial Documents, Contact List, and Expense Worksheet element definitions. Within this tab is a resource type grid where you can enable or disable which resource types are allowed to be added.

The Add Production Tasks column is associated with Services and will determine how production tasks are added to the element. Selecting "As Note" will add the production tasks within the service's note field. Selecting "As Child" will add the production tasks as a child line of the service.

This tab provides some additional settings for Financial Documents.

  • Line Mute Call Times by Default: If Yes, the service's call times will automatically be line muted when added to the element.
  • Line Mute Contents: If Yes, the inventory contents will automatically be line muted when added to the element.
  • Auto Note Mute: If Yes, any notes associated with an inventory model will automatically be muted when added to the element.

For Expense Sheets, you’ll be able to set the “Default Resource Type”. When a resource type is selected, any lines added to an Expense Sheet element will default to that selection.

Tiered Pricing Models Tab

The Tiered Pricing Models tab is used for managing settings related to tiered pricing models and is available for financial documents. There are three settings that are provided in this tab:

  • Show Tiered Pricing: When set to "Yes", tiers that are in use will be visible as child rows of the item on the element.
  • Tier Editing Enabled: When set to "Yes", you will be able to edit the pricing or cost of the tiers.
  • Line Mute Tiers: When set to "Yes", the tiers will automatically be line muted if visible.

Accounting Options Tab

The Accounting Options tab provides valuable settings related to financial documents. Within this tab, you can enable Payment Terms and Sales Tax Rules that are allowed to be used on the element, and set default values for each. 

Other useful settings located within this tab:

  • Default Pricing Model: This will determine which pricing model will be used by default when creating a new element. Keep in mind, this can be overridden in the new element popup.
  • Automation Profiles: This will determine which element will be generated when creating a PO, Contact List, or Transfer Order.
  • Payment Definition: This will determine which class of element is generated when entering a payment.
  • Paid In Full Action: This will determine the status applied to the element once payment in full is received.

Document Header Tab

The Document Header tab is available for financial documents and allows you to configure which parts of a Contact's address will be visible in the element's "Header" tab. There are 6 address blocks that can be enabled; the Left, Center, Right, Bottom Left, Bottom Center, and Bottom Right. To enable an address block in the element's header, enter a caption and select address source.

To customize the address layout and choose what source information will populate in the header:

  1. Select the Configure Address Block Layout icon for the row.
  2. Click the Add New icon.
  3. Choose an address field.

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You will find the following settings below the address block grid:

  • Include Address Block in Reports - When set to Yes, the enabled address blocks will be included in the generated report.
  • Multi-Column Notes Enabled - When set to Yes, the note line will expand the entire width of the row in the generated report.
  • Report Header Notes - When entered, this text will appear in the generated report above the header blocks.

Copy Targets Tab

The Copy Targets tab is where you will select the element that will be generated for partial and incremental targets. 

When a partial target is selected, you can select lines within an element to create a partial element that includes those lines. For example, if you have a Quote but want to create two separate Invoices with specific lines on each, you could use this feature. Or, if you want to create multiple Pullsheets and “split” the gear into departments.

When an incremental target is selected, you will be able to create multiple elements based on percentages of the total price of the element. This feature is very useful if you want to bill a client 50% now and then 50% later. After the Invoices are generated, each Invoice will have a single line and the price will be split based on 50% of the total price. This option is only available for Financial Documents and will appear in the Financials menu of the element.

The Incremental Copy Resource Type is only applicable when an element is selected in the incremental target field. This will determine what resource type is selected for the single line after the element is generated.

Custom Rows Tab

The Custom Rows tab is where you can add additional price/cost fields to the total block of a financial document, and/or where you will apply a Fee Matrix after it's been created.

Adding a Custom Row:

  1. Click the Add New Custom Row icon.
  2. Enter the new custom row information.
    • Code: The identifier for the row and what will be used in the total block when selecting the custom row. This basically acts as the name field.
    • Description: A brief description of the custom row.
    • Calculation Method: How the custom row is calculated. The As Entered option is used for manually entering the price or cost. When selecting the Fee Matrix option, choose what Fee Matrix will be used. When selecting the As Subtotal Multiple, enter the number that the row will be multiplied by.
    • Result Type: Whether the custom row results in a price (charged to the client) or cost (internal cost to you).
    • Resource Type: Optional resource type selector. This is useful for QuickBooks purposes and will determine what resource type is exported for the row.
    • Tax Treatment: How the custom row is taxed, or not taxed.
    • Transient Calculation: If Yes, the custom row will be used for display purposes only and will not calculate into any totals. This is useful for resource type totaling.
    • Is Waivable: If Yes, a user can click into the custom row field and make manual changes.
    • Must Be Negative: If Yes, the custom row will be a negative price/cost.

After a Custom Row has been created, you will need to add this to the Total Block in order to see the row. This is especially important for Fee Matrices.

Views Tab

The Views tab is used for configuring the different tabs that run along the top of the element in the first section. This tab is only applicable to Financial Documents and Contact Lists. Each view has its own settings that can be edited or you can create entirely new views. When creating or editing a view, you’ll notice that the settings are separated into different tabs. 

 

The first tab is the General Settings tab and consists of higher-level settings associated with the view. Below are a few of the settings you’ll find in this tab.

  • Is Sensitive View: If Yes, any user with the “Can View Sensitive Views” permission denied will not be able to see this view.
  • Internal Use Only: If Yes, generated reports will ignore the line mute option, and all lines will be visible on the report.
  • Suppress Document Number/Barcode: If Yes, the generated report will not include the document number or barcode within the header.
  • Include Payment/Signature Block: If Yes, the generated report will include a payment and signature block to the left of the total block.

 

The second tab is the Print Format tab and is used for the Send To Client/Vendor option. When a print format is configured for a View, this will take priority over the Default Print Format Report that is configured in the Reports tab. The Cover and End Page PDF options will populate the Static Reports that have been added to your system. You can quickly add a new option from this tab by selecting the Add New PDF button.

 

The third tab is the Legal Boilerplate tab and is often used for adding terms to the report. When text is entered, this will be visible on all generated reports above the signature block area. 

 

The fourth tab is the Header Block Columns tab which allows you to configure what fields are visible in the Header tab of the element. Below you will find the steps for how to add a new field to the header.

  1. Click the Add New Row icon.
  2. Enter the new row information.
  • Row: This determines what row the field will be added to within the header. Numbering starts at 0, representing the first row, and goes to 9.
  • Caption: The name of the field.
  • Field Type: The type of the field and what information will populate.
  • Format Mask: When a date field is selected, you will be able to choose a format mask.
  • Print Enabled: If Yes, the field will be visible on the generated report.
  • Width Factor: This will determine the width of the field. If the text appears outside of the field on the generated report, you may need to expand the width.

 

The fifth tab is the Detail Block Columns tab which allows you to configure what fields are visible in the Details tab of the element. Below you will find the steps for how to add a new column to the details.

  1. Click the Add New Row icon.
  2. Enter the new row information.
  • Caption: The name of the column.
  • Field Type: The type of the field and what information will populate.
  • Width Factor: This will determine the width of the field. If the text appears outside of the field on the generated report, you may need to expand the width.
  • Alignment: This will determine the alignment of the information in the field.

 

The sixth, and final, tab is the Total Block Rows tab which allows you to configure what fields are visible in the Totals tab of the element. Below you will find the steps for how to add a new field to the totals.

  1. Click the Add New Row icon.
  2. Enter the new row information.
  • Caption: The name of the field.
  • Field Type: The type of the field and what information will populate.
  • Tax Category: When the Field Type is set to Sales Tax Logged, this field will be active and will populate the Sales Tax Categories.
  • Custom Row: When the Field Type is set to Custom Row, this field will be active and will populate the Custom Rows.
  • Print If Zero: If Yes, this field prints even if the price/cost is $0.00.
  • Bold: If Yes, this field will print bold.

Shipping & Receiving Tab

The Shipping & Receiving tab is available for Equipment Lists and will determine what scanning modes are available for that element. For example, a Pull sheet typically only has the Prep scan mode enabled but the Manifest may have both the Return and Shipping scan modes enabled. Each scan mode has settings that can be adjusted to fit your company’s needs.

Below you will find information on the settings for the Prep scan mode, but they are also applicable to the other modes.

  • Prepped Action: The Workflow Action triggered when you click Finalize (resets to None if you choose to set Status)
  • Prepped Status: The Status to set for the element when you click Finalize (resets to None if you choose to set an Action)
  • Prep Manifest: The equipment list element that Prep scans are sent to. By default, this is set to Manifest for a Pull Sheet
  • Manifest Prepped Action: The Workflow Action triggered on the Manifest when you click Finalize (resets to None if you choose to set Status), not recommended in most setups
  • Manifest Prepped Status: The Status to set for the Manifest when you click FInalize (resets to None if you choose to set an Action), not recommended in most setups
  • Container Auto Scan Enabled: Determines how container contents are scanned out.
  • Auto Scan Match Mode: Determines how the system handles fulfilling needs based on a container's contents. Parent/Child starts at the item scanned and looks for a parent/child relationship; Whole List starts at the top of the list and works its way down.

Contact List Report Options Tab

This tab was formerly known as Contact List Options. The Contact List Report Options tab is available for Contact Lists and consists of settings related to the Default Contact List report.

  • Contact List Caption: This will determine the name that prints in the header of the generated report.
  • Note Column Caption: This will determine the name of the note column that prints on the generated report.
  • Include Labor Role Column: If Yes, the generated report will include a Labor Role column along with the Quantity column.

Equipment List Options Tab

The Equipment List Options tab is available for Equipment Lists and consists of a variety of settings.

  • Default Stock Type: This will determine the resource type of lines that are added to the element.
  • Subrental/Transfer/Backorder Automation Profile: When an option is selected, resolving shortages will be allowed. When shortages are resolved, the target PO definition in the automation profile will be generated.
  • Left/Right Address Source: This will determine what source is populated in the address blocks of the Header.

Invalidate Storage Containers: If Yes, non-permanent items in a container will be removed after being scanned.

 

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