document fulfillment system (dfs) - astley gilbertedfs.astleygilbert.com/shared/dfs portal access...

Document Fulfillment System (DFS)

Web Portal Access and General Usage

Version: 1.1

DFS – Web Portal Access and General Usage

Document Status Project Name: Project Title

Doc. Version: 1.1 Date: November 09,2006

(Doc Version & Date used for configuration control)

Status: Final Produced by: Alex Bevilacqua Revision History Version Date Description of Revisions 0.1 June 13, 2005 First Draft 0.2 June 16, 2005 Second Draft (Edited by Shannon Bell) 1.0 June 27, 2005 Upgraded to Final 1.1 November 09, 2006 Revised and updated (Shannon Bell) Acronyms Acronym Description of Acronym AGR Astley-Gilbert Reproduction DFM Design File Manager DFS Document Fulfillment System FTP File Transfer Protocol

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Table of Contents

1. Logging Into the Portal ........................................................................................................... 1 2. Project Selection ..................................................................................................................... 2

2.1. Thumbnail View ............................................................................................................. 2 2.2. List View......................................................................................................................... 3 2.3. Project Search ................................................................................................................. 3

3. Project Details......................................................................................................................... 4 4. Project Content........................................................................................................................ 5

4.1. Folder View .................................................................................................................... 5 4.2. The Current Set folder .................................................................................................... 5 4.3. Document Details............................................................................................................ 6 4.4. Previewing a Document.................................................................................................. 6

5. Creating a print order .............................................................................................................. 7 5.1. Creating Distributed Orders............................................................................................ 8 5.2. Creating New Contacts ................................................................................................... 9 5.3. Creating a Distribution List .......................................................................................... 11 5.4. Adding Contacts to a Distributed Order ....................................................................... 12 5.5. Removing a Recipient................................................................................................... 13

6. Checking Out an Order – Shipping Information................................................................... 14 7. Checking Out an Order – Order Information........................................................................ 15 8. My Account .......................................................................................................................... 16

8.1. Pending Orders.............................................................................................................. 17 8.2. Completed Orders ......................................................................................................... 17 8.3. Address Book Maintenance .......................................................................................... 17 8.4. Notification Maintenance.............................................................................................. 18

8.4.1 Notification Details............................................................................................... 19 8.4.2 Notification Guests ............................................................................................... 19 8.4.3 Notification RSVPs............................................................................................... 19

8.5. Update Profile Information ........................................................................................... 20 9. Getting Assistance ................................................................................................................ 20

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1. Logging Into the Portal To log in to your DFS portal, you must enter the User Name and Password that you have been provided. Make sure you’ve entered your username and password correctly (the values are case sensitive), and then click the Login button to enter the portal. If you are working from your local (personal) computer and plan to be using the DFS system many times, it may be beneficial for you to check the Remember my login information on this machine checkbox. Doing this will store your username and password on the machine and allow for quick access to the system. This option should never be checked when using a shared workstation. If you have an account but can’t remember the details (username and password), click the Login Help button to enter the password request screen. As long as you remember the email address associated with your DFS account, you will be able to retrieve your account password. This password will be emailed to the address you specify. It is a good practice to change your password if you have to re-request it.

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2. Project Selection Upon entering the portal, you will notice that you are presented with a couple of different ways to access your projects: You can either click the thumbnail if it’s present, or click on the link below the project name that reads Click here to view the project details. The project selection screen also presents us with our first chance to explore the different ways of viewing information. DFS offers two separate ways of listing data on-screen; these methods are Thumbnail View and List View.

2.1. Thumbnail View The thumbnail view provides you with a brief synopsis of the project(s) as well as a thumbnail (a small picture). To select a project from the thumbnail list, find the appropriate project and click the area below the title that simply states: Click here to view project details.

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2.2. List View The second method of displaying information in DFS is the List View. This view presents you with more information about the project you are about to access. The main difference between list view and thumbnail view is the absence of a photo. This provides you with a more compact listing and also allows you to see more information regarding the project.

2.3. Project Search If you’re account is associated with just a few projects, chances are you can find what you’re looking for on a single screen, using either the thumbnail or list views. Should you find yourself working on many projects at once, you will most likely find the process of locating the appropriate project slightly more time consuming. For this reason, DFS incorporates a search feature into the project selection area. By specifying a search term and clicking Search, the number of projects listed will be narrowed down and make it much easier to find the one you want to access.

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3. Project Details To access the project details section of the portal, click on the Details tab near the top left corner of the screen. The details section of the portal gives you information regarding the current project you are accessing. Since the client provides this information, if there are any discrepancies, feel free to inform an administrator at Astley-Gilbert so that the information can be updated.

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Folder View

4. Project Content The Content view is where all documents pertaining to the current project are displayed. Depending on how the portal is setup, you will have a few different options as to how you want to access your documents.

4.1. Folder View Similar to the how documents are stored on an FTP site or on your hard drive, documents in DFS are stored in folders. By clicking on a particular folder, you will see the contents of the folder in the display area. What sets DFS apart from general FTP sites is the availability of the Current Set folder.

4.2. The Current Set folder

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The Current Set folder is where the most current versions of your documents are available. As documents are being indexed and uploaded to the DFS portal, if a version becomes superceded, it is replaced in the Current Set folder(s) automatically by DFS. This allows for a quick and easy way of obtaining the most up-to-date drawings in only a few clicks of the mouse. The current set folder is a key feature of the DFS system, if documents are being submitted for upload to the portal that are not intended to be a part of the current set that should be specified at the time of submission, otherwise all drawing content is treated as updated and included in the current set folders.

4.3. Document Details To get further information regarding a particular document, click the Click here to view the document details link. This link only exists in thumbnail mode; if you’re in list view, simply click the document name to access the details. The information displayed here reflects the particular attributes that were captured from the document during indexing.

4.4. Previewing a Document When you click on the thumbnail of a document, it will launch Adobe Acrobat Reader and show you a preview. This preview has been reduced in quality to allow for faster downloading. When you are finished reviewing the document simply close the Adobe Acrobat Reader window. If you do not have a copy of Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, you can download it for free from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

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http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html


5. Creating a print order To order copies of documents located on the portal, DFS incorporates a shopping cart checkout system similar to those of any online retailer (ie. Amazon.com). To select documents you want to checkout, and click the Add To Cart icon. If you still have more documents you want to add, click the continue shopping button in the upper left corner of the screen, find the appropriate documents and repeat the above process for adding documents to the shopping cart. All the documents you’ve selected now appear on this screen along with any size options and quantity options. By default, you can order Full Size, Half Size and Electronic versions of your drawings. To select more than one of each drawing, at the top of the screen there are Select All boxes. Enter the new number of sets that you would like to receive and press the Tab key on your keyboard. This will copy the required number down through all the selections in your cart. You may also adjust the number for each individual selection if desired. Full/Half size drawings are physical drawings that you order from Astley-Gilbert. Once the order process is complete, the order is automatically submitted for processing and printing.

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5.1. Creating Distributed Orders If your order is going to multiple recipients then you need to create a distributed order. For your convenience, reminders regarding how to create a distributed order appear on the left hand side of the screen every time you enter the shopping cart. Once the initial content is added to the cart please note that all recipients you add will inherit the same the quantities. If your cart contains 3 full size and 2 half size of each drawing, each recipient will have the same quantities in their cart. You can then either accept the quantities or customize the quantities for each recipient.

After confirming the initial quantities and clicking Check Out, click the Add Distribution button on the shipping information page. When you first begin to create your distribution, you’ll be taken to the address book maintenance1 section of DFS. The default view of this section is a listing of all your contacts. Contacts can also be organized into lists. These lists (aka Distribution Lists) help you quickly access specific individuals for your orders. Once you have created your distribution lists they can be selected by clicking the dropdown menu and clicking the name of the list you want. Clicking ONLY – Contacts or ONLY – Lists will filter the results accordingly.

1 Address book maintenance is also available from anywhere within the system by clicking on and selecting Address Book Maintenance

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If you select a Distribution List from the dropdown, only the contacts contained within that list will be shown. In the example shown below, we have created a distribution list for all subs relating to Drywall. Allowing us to easily distribute relevant drawings to a target group.

5.2. Creating New Contacts The first time you use the system, it’s likely you won’t have any contacts in your list. To add contacts, simply click the New Contact button. Contact creation is initiated by supplying the contact’s email

address. If the contact you’re trying to add to your list already exists either as a user of DFS or as another users contact, their information will be supplied and you simply have to click the Add to Address Book button to complete the process. This greatly decreases the amount of time it takes to create contacts for order distribution.

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If the contact doesn’t exist, you simply have to fill out the appropriate contact information fields. This action will only need to be completed once. This user now exists

the system and can be added to distribution lists or future projects with ease.

in

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5.3. Creating a Distribution List Once you have added some contacts to your address book, you may want to begin creating distribution lists. To do this, click the New List button.

To begin give your list a name, and optionally, a description. After the list has been created, you will be taken to the contact selection screen. From here, you have the option of adding any number of users from your address book to this contact list.2

To add users check the box next to the individual(s) name and click Add to List. When the list is complete, select Save New List.

2 Contact list members can also be added at anytime to an existing Distribution List by filtering the address book by ONLY – Lists and then clicking the Edit link next to the list you want to modify.

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5.4. Adding Contacts to a Distributed Order

Now that the contact list is populated, to add users to an order, simply check the box next to each individual(s) name and click Add to Order. Any number of contacts can be selected from a single list at a time to be added to the order. If you would like to add contacts from multiple lists,

simply add all the contacts from the first list, then when you are returned to the shipping information page, repeat the process by clicking Add Distribution. As we mentioned above, contacts added to a distribution will automatically have the same quantity in their carts as was specified with the original order. To change this, simply click the Customize Cart link for the recipient(s) that you want to edit.

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When customizing a recipient’s cart, the process is identical to the initial order selection. Content can be added or removed and quantities can be altered, however they will only affect the selected recipient. As a visual cue as to which cart you’re editing, the recipient’s name is displayed in brackets next to the Shopping Cart title.

Once all quantities are confirmed for the selected recipient, click Check Out to update the order.

5.5. Removing a Recipient The DFS cart system is configured to default the distribution to the order initiator (the logged in user). If you want the order to go to a recipient (either single or multiple) but not to yourself, once the distribution information is confirmed, simply click the checkbox next to your own information and click Delete. Now the order will only be delivered to the recipients specified and not to the order initiator.

Completing the Order

Once all quantities for all recipients are confirmed, simply click the Continue button to proceed with the order.

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6. Checking Out an Order – Shipping Information Once you’ve confirmed that your order is correct and have clicked the Check Out button in the shopping cart, you’ll be taken to the Shipping Information screen. This screen confirms the shipping information that is associated with your account. All the information that you originally provided will automatically be entered, facilitating the data entry process. Confirm that the provided information is correct, make any changes that may be necessary and click Continue to proceed to the Order Information screen.

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7. Checking Out an Order – Order Information The Order Information page is the last screen where you will need to input information prior to completing your order. This is the area where you can supply any additional information pertaining to the order (ie. Binding Type, Media Colour and any additional comments you may want to provide to your reprographer). The Order Name field is useful for your own reference later when reviewing your order history, this is a way to identify your order. Reference Number is a useful field for attaching your PO number, project number, or any identifying number for your own accounting or tracking purposes. Requested Date and Time indicate to us when you would like to receive your order. The order comments box is very useful for passing any information to us that is not including in the drop down boxes above. If you have special instructions such as “Bind by Discipline” please do not hesitate to include them here. Once you are satisfied with your order, click the Purchase button. If you would like to review any previous sections, click the Back button (the Back button in the portal, not the Back button on your browser).

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8. My Account

The My Account screen, accessible from the toolbar at the top right hand corner of the screen, is where all user level account administration takes place. This area allows you to access and change information specific to your personal account and information. Your can also view information related to your recent order activity, maintain your contacts and notification settings and update your profile in the system. If you do not need to make any changes or audit any order or notification information, click the Back button in the upper left hand corner to return to the section you were at just before clicking My Account.

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8.1. Pending Orders Pending Orders are where you can go to track the status of the orders you’ve recently placed. If your order has not yet been processed it will be listed under your pending orders screen. Once your order has been completed it will progress to to the completed orders screen. You now have the power to instantly determine the status of your order just by logging in and viewing your account information pages. Clicking on an order number will bring you to a new screen that provides you with information regarding that particular order. Including to whom you sent this order and how many drawings where included.

8.2. Completed Orders Once an order has been received by Astley-Gilbert and marked as completed, that order will appear under the Completed Orders area of your account. With just a few clicks of your mouse this area provides you with a quick and handy reference of your order history.

8.3. Address Book Maintenance The Address Book area is where you may store all your contacts. Creating contact entries and groups in your address book will be especially useful if you need to send out packages of drawings to multiple recipients. You can compile a set of drawings using your shopping cart and instantly ensure that each one of your consultants receives a package. For detailed information regarding adding contacts to your address book review the section regarding distributed orders.

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8.4. Notification Maintenance Notification maintenance is an extremely helpful tool in two main areas of project management.

You can create an invitation to bid on a set of drawings currently posted and have that invite instantly mailed out to each bidder on your list. Who then may access the drawings and provide you with their bid. You have further abilities regarding tracking the actions of those who have responded to your invitation.

When you post addenda pertaining to your project you can ensure that all persons involved with your project are instantly notified that an addenda is available and know that your team is instantly able to access the most current information available.

Under the notification maintenance section, you have can manage the existing notifications that you have issued to other users. If you click on a notification’s name, you can view the details of that notification, who was invited to view it and who has responded to it.

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8.4.1 Notification Details The notification details tab displays all data pertaining to the selected notification. This is the same information, formatted differently, that was displayed at the notification confirmation screen, which appeared when the particular notification was sent.

8.4.2 Notification Guests Under the Guests tab is the list off all recipients of the notification. Clicking a contact’s name will bring up their complete contact information in a popup. The guests’ tab also presents you with the option to resend the notification, remove a guest from that particular notification’s distribution list, or to add a new guest to the distribution.

8.4.3 Notification RSVPs The notification RSVPs’ section is the most interesting feature of the notification section. This is where you can actually track who has actually seen or responded to a particular notification. This is extremely useful for tracking document distributions, and also for later in the project, if there is a dispute regarding a document not being received. If the document was distributed using the DFS notification system, there is now a time-stamped log of that particular communication.

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8.5. Update Profile Information Your personal settings are stored in your user profile. This is the area where you would go to change your shipping information, shipping method, account number or even to change your password. Please ensure that this information is correct at all times.

9. Getting Assistance If you need assistance at any time with the features of the system you can click the Help button in the upper right of your screen for information regarding how to contact the DFS Support team via telephone or email and where to find our locations in the GTA. Please do not hesitate to contact DFS Support, we would be pleased to assist you.

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