chapter 2: basic navigation - augusta...

Chapter 2: Basic Navigation

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CHAPTER 2: BASIC NAVIGATION Objectives

The objectives are:

• Describe the components of the rich client user interface. • Navigate the Microsoft Dynamics® AX menu structure. • Find a customer in the customer list page. • Create a sales order. • Create an alert rule. • Update a sales order to shipped. • View details of a selected field. • Add notes through document handling. • Invoice a sales order. • Use the Help. • Personalize a form. • Post a customer payment. • Use workflows. • Submit a workflow. • Describe quick navigation tips.

Introduction This chapter introduces the user interface of the Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 client. The rich client application typically is installed on an end-user's computer or can be accessed through remote desktop.

The main client workspace contains the menu and tools. The menu provides access to forms and reports that display data. Different types of forms are used which are dependent on the type of data and the way that they will be used. Form types include list pages, master details forms, transaction detail forms, and parameter forms.

A key design principle of the application is to be powerful yet simple to use. It uses design elements from other Microsoft products so that the user experience is familiar. It is easier for end-users to learn and more intuitive to use.

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Introduction to Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012

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Rich Client User Interface This lesson discusses the components of the client interface.

Client Workspace

The client workspace has the following components:

The Title bar is located at the top of the window. This standard Microsoft Windows feature displays the application name, license name, server name, and the company code. It also displays standard Microsoft Windows buttons to minimize, maximize and close the application.

The Address bar is located underneath the Title bar. It gives a "breadcrumb" trail that shows where you have been in the program and how to return. It has three components:

• Forward and Back buttons let you move back and forward through previous pages as you would in Internet Explorer.

• The Address field lets you navigate through modules and pages as you would in Windows Explorer.

• The Search bar lets you search through the application for menu items and data.

The File menu is located under the Address bar. It is a standard Microsoft Office interface component. It gives access to general functions and tools available in the application.

There are three buttons that are located to the right of the File menu.

• The Windows menu lets you open a new application workspace or a new developer workspace. It is also useful to navigate through multiple windows that are open at the same time.

• The View menu lets you personalize your workspace. • The Help menu gives multiple options to get help with using the

application.

The Navigation pane is located on the left and displays the application menu in a way that resembles Microsoft Outlook.

The Content pane is the main area. Role centers, Area pages and List pages are displayed within the content pane.




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The Status bar is located at the bottom of the application window. The Status bar can display information such as the user ID, date, time, company and help text. Information displayed on the status bar can be configured by the user in User options. File menu > Tools > Options > Status Bar.

FIGURE 2.1 CLIENT WORKSPACE

Demonstration: Status bar options

Role: All roles

Scenario: Several sales representatives share one computer in the showroom. They want to ensure they are using their login information when they use Microsoft Dynamics AX. They change their options to display the user ID in the status bar.

To change the fields displayed in the status bar follow these steps: 1. Click the File menu. 2. Select Tools. 3. Select Options. 4. Go to Status bar. 5. Select Show user ID. 6. Close the Options form and view your user ID in the Status bar.




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Switch Between Modules

There are two ways to switch between modules within Microsoft Dynamics AX.

• The Address field lets the end-user navigate between modules in a way that resembles using Windows Explorer. You can type a path or click the arrow icon button next to each entry in the path to choose your next location.

• The Navigation pane lets the end-user navigate between modules in a way that resembles using Microsoft Outlook.

Security controls which modules a user can access according to their role. Very few end-users will see all modules when they use Microsoft Dynamics AX. This makes the application simpler to use. Click a navigation pane button to display the area page for that module.

Menu Items and Area page

Menu items are used to launch all list pages, forms, inquiries and reports.

The Area page is displayed within the content pane when a module is selected. It displays all menu items relevant to that module. They are grouped logically to make it easier for end-users to find what they need. You can expand or collapse groups by clicking the arrow next to the name.

• Common contains the most commonly used menu items for an application module. Most menu items in this group are designed to quickly find a record or group of records and then perform an action with those records.

• Journals are used for posting transactional data. A journal details which transactions occurred and which accounts were affected. Menu items in this group provide access to forms for interacting with journals.

• Inquiries are designed for read-only access to information in an on-screen form. They enable search and analysis of data without needing to generate a traditional report. This menu group provides access to forms used for inquiry.

• Reports are designed to display data in a printable report format. • Periodic contains menu items for forms that are used periodically.

They often are used for bulk updates to a set of records. • Setup contains menu items that maintain the general setup of

features related to the selected module.

Commonly used menu items can be added to an end-user's Role Center or to their favorites list in the navigation pane. This makes it faster and easier to access areas of the application that are used most frequently.




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Navigation Pane

The navigation pane is an alternate way to change modules and access menu items.

Personalize the navigation pane

An end-user can personalize the navigation pane. Options are available to rearrange the order or hide modules. The navigation pane can also be hidden completely if you prefer to use the address bar and area page only. These options are available in the View menu. You can access the View menu from the File menu, the View button in the command bar or by pressing Alt+V.

Auto-hide

You can choose to auto-hide the navigation bar. This increases the space that is available for the content pane. The navigation pane collapses to a vertical bar and expands when you move the mouse pointer over the bar.

Favorites

You can add regularly used menu items to your favorites list which is displayed at the top of the navigation pane. Right-click on a menu item and select Add to favorites to add it to your favorites.

Switch Between Companies

Microsoft Dynamics AX supports multiple companies within one instance of the application. The title bar displays the current company account that the user is working in. Some users find it useful to have multiple workspaces open when they work simultaneously across multiple company accounts.

End-users can switch between companies in different ways:

• Open a different company from the Address bar by clicking the arrow icon to the left of the company ID.

• Click the company ID displayed in the Status bar. This displays a list of companies available. Click OK to switch to the selected company within the same workspace or New Workspace to open the company in a separate workspace.

Security controls which companies a user can access. You can configure security within a company so a user may have more or less access in other companies.




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Demonstration: View setup in another company

Role: April, Accounts Payable Clerk.

Scenario: April usually works in Contoso US but wants to see the vendor groups used in the Contoso Europe company.

Follow these steps to open Contoso Europe in another workspace and check vendor groups.

1. Click the ceu company ID displayed in the status bar. 2. Select CEE company ID. 3. Click New Workspace. 4. Open the Accounts Payable module by using the address bar or

navigation pane. 5. Vendor groups are part of the general setup of the Accounts Payable

module. Use either the navigation pane or area page to open Setup - Vendors - Vendor groups.

6. Click Close to close the Vendor groups form. 7. Click the Close button in the Title bar to close the CEE workspace. 8. An infolog is displayed to notify you that you are returning to the

CEU company. Click Close.

Role Centers

A role center displays specific data, reports, alerts, and common tasks associated with a user's role in the organization. There are 39 roles available out of the box with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. These roles cover the most common types of end-users.

The benefits of roles centers are as follows:

• Makes relevant information easily accessible in one screen. This reduces the need to open multiple forms and reports to access important information.

• Helps prioritize the most important tasks that need to be performed. • Highlights exceptions that may need additional action.

Roles centers are customizable both globally and for an individual user. You can also create new role pages. For example, an ISV solution may include functionality for different roles and therefore may include new role centers.




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Role pages are deployed by using SharePoint and display multiple web parts. Web parts are controls that can display information from various sources. These sources can include Microsoft Dynamics AX, other applications and external web-based sources such as weather reports.

FIGURE 2.2 ROLE CENTER

Role Center Web Parts

The standard Microsoft Dynamics AX web parts that are displayed on role centers include the following:

• Cues are visual stacks of work that display the number of records found satisfying the query criteria.

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are visual indicators of goal achievement. They may be displayed in various forms including traffic light or arrow indicators.

• The Work list displays all alerts, activities and outstanding workflow actions.

• Charts display directly in the role page. • Reports display directly in the role page. • Quick Links are links to commonly used menu items, files or web

pages. • My Reports are links to commonly used reports.




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List Pages

A List page is the first place an end-user should go to search and act on information. It is optimized to view and search through a list of records.

The components of a list page are as follows:

• The Grid displays a list of records. It displays only a few of the most important fields for each record.

• The Filter pane is used to enter search criteria. This filters the list in the grid to show only the records an end-user is interested in. The filter pane contains the quick filter bar and buttons for advanced filters.

• The Preview pane displays more fields about the selected record. This helps to make sure that you have selected the correct record in your search.

• The FactBox pane displays more information about the selected record from related tables.

• The Action pane contains menu items that let you do typical tasks related to the selected record.

FIGURE 2.3 LIST PAGE




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Demonstration: Data in List pages

Role: Arnie, Accounts receivable.

Scenario: Arnie regularly uses the full customer list. He uses various methods to view, sort, and filter data in the All customers list page.

1. Go to Accounts receivable > Common > Customers > All customers.

2. Click on the top of the column Customer account or right-click on the customer account and select Sort ascending.

3. Remove the sort by using either of these methods: a. Click the Remove Filter/Sort button in the Advanced filter

buttons. b. Press Ctrl-Shift-F3. c. Right-click and select Remove filter/sort.

4. Add a column with the customer group to the grid. Click the down

arrow next on the button showing Customer account in the Quick filter and select More.

FIGURE 2.4

5. Expand Customers and select Customer group. 6. Click Add. 7. Close the Select fields form. 8. Show only customers who contain sun in the name. Type sun and

select Name as the field to filter on. Press ENTER. 9. Click the Remove filter/sort button. 10. Select the customer group field on the Cave wholesalers record.

Click the Filter by selection button in the Advanced filter buttons or right-click and select Filter by selection.

11. Reset the form to remove customer group and return to the standard form layout. Right-click in the grid and then click Personalize.

12. Click the Reset button. 13. Close the Personalization form.




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Master Detail Forms

Master Detail forms display all fields on a specific master record. These forms are used for master records such as customers, vendors, fixed assets and products.

The components of a master details form are as follows:

FastTabs display fields in logical groups. You can collapse or expand them by clicking the arrow to the left of the FastTab name. Alternatively, you can right-click and expand all, collapse all, or go directly to a tab.

Summary fields are displayed at the top of each FastTab. This lets you see the more important data without having to expand the tab.

The FactBox pane displays more information about the selected record from related tables.

The Action pane contains menu items which let you perform typical tasks related to the record.

FIGURE 2.5 MASTER DETAIL FORM




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View/Edit Mode

View mode

In most cases, an end-user will go to a master details form to view information. When you double-click a record or press Enter on a selected record in a list page, the details form will usually open in view mode. This reduces the risk of you accidentally changing data.

Edit mode

To edit a record, you must enter Edit mode. Click the Edit button in the action pane or right-click on a record and select Edit record.

View/Edit option

If an end-user mostly uses a particular details form to edit information, you can change the settings to always open that form in edit mode. This option is available in the View menu. File menu > View > Default Form View/Edit mode.

Saving changes

Microsoft Dynamics AX automatically saves changes when you move off a record or close a form. You do not have to click Save every time that you make a change. If you have made a change that you do not want to save, press F5 to refresh the form. Alternatively press ESCAPE and you will be prompted to save changes. If you click No, the change that you made will not be saved. You must do this before you move off the record or closing the form.

General Actions

Most menu items in the action pane are specific to the type of data that is displayed in the form. However, there are several common items that appear in most forms.

Edit is used to open the details form in edit mode.

Edit in grid is used to open the grid in edit mode. This lets you update data on multiple grids more easily.

Delete is used to delete the selected record.

Refresh is used to refresh the list. Any new records or changes since the form was opened will be displayed.

Export to Microsoft Excel will export the data in the grid to an Excel sheet. This is covered in more detail in the Reporting chapter.

Attachments is where you can add notes, documents, spreadsheets, and other files to records.




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Demonstration: Find and view a customer record

Role: Connie, Collections Agent.

Scenario: Connie has a message from Paul Shen. He works for a university but the message taker did not write down the exact name. The message says to stop sending account statements because he now has access to view his account on the customer portal. Find the correct customer account and change details.

1. Open the Accounts receivable module by using either the address bar or navigation pane.

2. Go to Accounts receivable > Common > Customers > All customers list page.

3. Type university and Press ENTER. Notice that when you open the page, the focus is set automatically to the search field. You do not have to click in the search field to start searching.

4. There are three results that satisfy the search criteria. Expand the Contacts FactBox and verify which of the three accounts Paul Shen is associated with.

5. When you have highlighted the correct customer account, just press ENTER to open the Details form. The customer details form opens in view mode to show all details on the Mountain University customer record.

6. Expand the Miscellaneous details FastTab to see the Account statement setting that is currently set to Always.

7. Click Maintain > Edit in the action pane. The customer details form is now in edit mode.

8. Change Account statement to Never. 9. Click the Close button to close the form and save changes. 10. Click OK to recalculate the credit limit.

Transaction Detail Forms

Transaction detail forms are optimized for data entry. Examples of transaction detail forms are sales orders and purchase orders. Transaction detail forms contain a header and lines section.

In most cases, an end-user will enter a transaction detail form to enter line items. Therefore, the form is opened by default in edit mode and the focus moves to the lines.




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For example, most of the information on the sales order header will default from the customer record. Therefore, most data entry on the sales order form involves entering sales order lines. The sales order form facilitates this most common scenario. It takes a user directly to the sales order line entry area. The sales order form displays the following sections:

• Sales order header - the most commonly changed fields from the sales order header.

• Sales order lines - the most commonly changed fields from the lines in a grid view.

• Line details - tabs displaying all fields for the line highlighted in the sales lines grid.

• FactBoxes - display information related to the sales order header. • Action pane - contains action buttons that you can use to perform

tasks related to the sales order header. • Status bar - contains information and tools relevant to viewing data

in detail.

If a user wants to see or edit other information on the header, you can switch to header view by using the Header view button in the action pane.

FIGURE 2.6 TRANSACTION DETAIL FORM




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Demonstration: Enter a sales order

Role: Nancy, Super sales rep.

Scenario: Nancy receives a call from her account River Hotel. The company would like a quotation for a black, 50-inch, HD, LCD model 01 television. The item number is 1001. The company needs it quickly so one of its employees will pick it up from warehouse 21.

1. Go to Sales and Marketing > Common > Sales orders > All sales orders list page. This displays a list of all sales orders in the grid. The preview pane displays the lines of the selected sales order.

2. Click New > Sales order in the action pane. 3. The Create sales order form opens and the focus is on the customer

account number. You can start typing in the drop-down list to find the customer by pressing Tab to go to the customer account name field in the drop-down list, and then type River until you find River Hotel, customer number 2002. Click the record or press ENTER to select the customer.

4. Go to Mode of delivery in the Shipping FastTab. Change the mode of delivery to 60 - Customer pick up.

5. Press OK to create the sales order and enter the sales order lines. 6. Enter the item number 1001. 7. Enter Quantity 1, Configuration HD, Size 50, Color Black 01,

Warehouse 21. 8. Most of the details on the sales order header are default values based

on the customer and company setup. However, if you want to check the header, click Show > Header view in the Action pane to see all the fields.

9. Close the Sales order form.

Alerts Alerts give end-users the ability to set up rules for Microsoft Dynamics AX to notify them about data changes or dates.

Alerts can be received by a dialog box in the main window or by email with a hyperlink to launch Microsoft Dynamics AX and take the user directly to the form and record in the alert.

Alert notifications appear in the work list on an end-users role page. They can also be viewed when you click on the Notifications button in the status bar or File menu > View > Notifications.




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Alert Types

There are two types of alerts.

• Change based alerts can notify you if a change has been made to a record. Perhaps a record has been created or deleted or that a particular field on the record has changed. For example: o Arnie in Accounts Receivable may want to be notified every

time that a new customer is created so that he can perform a credit check.

o Nancy in Sales may want to be notified every time that a customer credit limit has been changed for customers who have her as the main salesperson.

o Annie in Accounting may want to be notified every time that a general ledger entry is posted to the petty cash account that has an amount greater than $100.

• Date based alerts can notify you within a time frame of a date. For example: o April in Purchasing may want to be notified if any purchase

order was scheduled to be delivered yesterday and the status is still Open order. This indicates that it is a late delivery.

o Nancy in Sales has an important sales order and wants to be notified when the ship date is due the following day so that she can confirm with the customer.

o Prakash in Projects may want to be notified if any projects he is project manager for have an end date that has been postponed.

Demonstration: Create an alert rule

Role: Nancy, Super Sales Rep.

Scenario: Nancy wants to be notified when the sales order she created for River Hotel has been collected and the status is updated to delivered so she can send a thank you note.

1. Go to Sales and Marketing module > Common > Sales orders > All sales orders list page.

2. The sales order number for River Hotel which you created in the previous procedure ended in number 1248. Type 1248 in the search bar and press ENTER.

3. The order status is displayed in the grid. The Status is currently Open Order. When the order has been collected, the status will change to Delivered. You can set an alert to notify you when that field changes. Right-click on Open order in the Status field and select Create alert rule.

4. Confirm in the Create alert rule form that you are setting an alert to notify you about the Status field on the Sales orders table.




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5. Change the event from has changed to is set to.. 6. Select Delivered as the selected value in the drop-down field next to

the Event. 7. Set the alert for only this Current record in sales orders (Sales

order: SO-101248, Name: River Hotel). 8. Enter the message "They've picked up the order, send a thankyou

note".

FIGURE 2.7 CREATE ALERT RULE

9. Click OK to save the alert rule. 10. Close the Manage alert rules form.

NOTE: You will see an alert pop up notifying you that the sales order has been delivered after you complete the next demonstration.

Make sure that you have completed Step 1 of the Virtual Machine Setup Instructions that are included at the end of Chapter 1 of this training course before you start this demonstration.




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Document Handling Document handling lets an end-user attach notes and files to any record in Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Role: Sammy, Shipping and Receiving.

Scenario: Sammy uses the Sales pickup list page to update orders that a customer has picked up from the warehouse. An employee from River Hotel has arrived to pickup a television which the company ordered earlier that day. Update the order to delivered status.

Demonstration: Deliver sales order

1. Go to Inventory and warehouse management > Common > Sales pickup. This form displays all open sales orders with the customer pickup mode of delivery.

2. Hold the mouse pointer over item number 1001 to see the tooltip that displays summary information about the item.

3. Sammy noticed that this model is poorly packaged and is likely to be damaged during transport. He adds a note to the item so that other end-users know about this. Right-click on the item number 1001 in the preview pane and select View details. View details is a fast way way to drill down to a related details form without returning to the main menu.

4. The item details form is displayed. Click the Attachments button in the action pane.

5. Click the New button and select Note. 6. Type Poor packaging in the Description field. 7. Type This item is poorly packaged and damage during transport

is likely in the text box in the lower half of the Document handling form.

8. Close the Document handling form 9. Close the Item details form. 10. Select the sales order number SO-101248 and then click the Packing

Slip button in the action pane to update the sales order to delivered status and print a packing slip.




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11. The Packing slip report is displayed on the screen. 12. Close the Packing slip report. 13. Close the Sales pickup form.

FIGURE 2.8 PACKING SLIP

Help Help with using Microsoft Dynamics AX is available in multiple ways. Full application help is available from within the client application.




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Press F1, or click the Help button, in the command bar and select Help to launch the end-user application help. This contains Help on individual fields and forms. It also contains procedural Help to assist with completing a business process within the application. Search is available within the application Help.

FIGURE 2.9 HELP

Other sources for help include the following:

Search Help for application users on Microsoft TechNet (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=205285). Use optimized search to find the latest updated Help on the web for Microsoft Dynamics AX application users.

Search Help for system administrators on Microsoft TechNet (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=193183). Use optimized search to find the latest updated Help on the web for Microsoft Dynamics AX system administrators.

Search Help for developers on MSDN (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=188679). Use optimized search to find the latest updated Help on the web for Microsoft Dynamics AX developers.

The Microsoft Dynamics AX developer center on MSDN (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/ax/default.aspx). Browse the online developer resources for Microsoft Dynamics AX, including news, downloads, and blogs.




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The Microsoft Dynamics AX site on Microsoft.com (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=103682). As the home portal for Microsoft Dynamics AX users, this site provides access to current product documentation and technical articles, and serves as a catalog of other Microsoft Dynamics AX resources.

CustomerSource (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=92647). A benefit of your Enhancement Plan enrollment, CustomerSource helps you keep your solution current and enhance the productivity of your users. You can search the Microsoft Dynamics AX Knowledge Base, download product and documentation updates, view online training, update your profile, retrieve product registration keys, read product news, and receive support and documentation for earlier versions of Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Microsoft Dynamics AX Community (http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/ax/community.mspx). Participate in the Microsoft Dynamics AX community, and interact with a pool of experts and experienced users. Microsoft Dynamics communities offer a unique opportunity for you to share valuable tips, receive answers to difficult questions, and broaden your understanding of business management software. The community provides links to newsgroups, technical chats, weblogs (blogs), webcasts, events, user groups, and newsletters.

Microsoft Dynamics Training (http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/using/training.mspx). Whether the people in your organization are just starting to learn about Microsoft Dynamics AX or they are seasoned veterans who want a quick refresher, Microsoft Dynamics provides a wealth of training opportunities designed to increase their knowledge and productivity. From classroom training to Internet-based learning, Microsoft Dynamics provides high-quality training when they need it, and where they need it.

Demonstration: Invoice sales order

Role: Arnie, Accounts Receivable.

Scenario: Arnie regularly checks the Shipped but not invoiced sales orders list page to make sure that he generates and issues invoices as soon as possible after shipment.

Follow these steps to invoice the sales order for River Hotel.

1. Go to Accounts Receivable > Common > Sales orders > Shipped but not invoiced sales orders list page.

2. Double-click the sales order for River Hotel to view the sales order details.

3. Go to the Invoice tab of the action pane. 4. Arnie notices there is an option for a Pro forma invoice. He is not

sure what that is used for. Press F1 to access the Help. 5. Click Hide all to collapse all the help topics displayed.




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6. Scroll down the Invoice actions topic. Click on the arrow next to Invoice actions to expand the topic. View information about the Pro forma invoice action. This just prints a preview of the invoice without journalizing any transactions. Arnie does not need this action today.

7. Close the Help window. 8. Close the Sales order details form to return to the list page. 9. Click Generate > Invoice in the Invoice tab of the action pane.

This opens the Posting invoice form. 10. Select the Print invoice check box in the Print options group. The

default print options will print the invoice to screen. 11. Click OK to process the invoice. 12. Click Yes to print the invoice to screen. 13. Click Close to close the Invoice report.

FIGURE 2.10 INVOICE




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Personalization Workspace Personalization

Hide panes

Some end-users prefer to have less information and maximize screen space. You can hide components of the workspace by using the view menu. You can access the View menu from the File menu, the View button in the command bar or by pressing ALT+V.

The following components can be hidden from view:

• The preview pane • The FactBox pane • The navigation pane

FactBoxes

Individual FactBoxes in the FactBox pane can be hidden or rearranged. Click the yellow Configure button at the end of the FactBox name to hide or move the box. This is also available in the view menu.

Form Personalization

End-users can personalize their view of forms anywhere in Microsoft Dynamics AX. There are multiple ways to personalize a form:

• Hide fields or groups of fields. • Move fields or groups of fields. • Rename a field or action. • Turn off editing of a field. • Rearrange FastTabs on a form. • Select fields to skip when pressing tab through a form. • Hide or rearrange options in the action pane.

Form changes are saved automatically and will remain for that end-user. Changes do not affect how another end-user sees the form. In addition, an end-user can:

• Save multiple versions of the form. • Retrieve another user's version of the form. • Reset the form to the standard layout.




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You can open the Personalization form in two ways:

• File > Command > Personalize • Right-click in a field on a form and select Personalize.

Demonstration: Enter customer payment

Role: Arnie, Accounts Receivable.

Scenario: Arnie receives the following checks from customers.

• River Hotels $3800.00 check number 100012. • Rainbow Hotel $5502.00 check number 390099.

Arnie enters many customer payments. He enters the first payment and then realizes that he can speed up his data entry time by personalizing the customer payment form.

1. Go to Accounts receivable > Journals > Payments > Payment journal form.

2. Press Ctrl+N to create a new journal. 3. Select the journal name ARPay. Arnie always uses this journal name

for the check payments that he processes. 4. Click Enter customer payments in the action pane. 5. Press TAB to move to the Payment reference field and enter the

check number 100012. 6. Press TAB three times to move to the customer account field and

select customer 2002 River Hotel as the customer. 7. Press TAB four times to move to the description field and enter

"Check payment". 8. Press Tab to move to the amount field and enter $3800. 9. A list of outstanding invoices is displayed in the Select to pay

section at the bottom of the form. Select the Mark check box to select invoice number 101093 which is being paid.

10. The amount to be settled now displays $3800.00 and the amount remaining to be allocated is $0.00.

11. Click Save in journal.




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Demonstration: Enter customer payment - Part 2

After he enters the first check, Arnie decides to personalize his form to make it easier to enter the required data. He customizes his form in the following way:

• Hide the deposit slip field because his bank deposits each check individually into the bank account.

• The payment date field is usually today so he wants to skip this field when tabbing through the form.

• The customer field should appear at the top of the page. • He would prefer the Payment reference field to be called "Check

number".

1. Right-click on the deposit slip check box and select Hide. 2. Right-click on the payment date field and select Personalize. The

personalize form reflects the form components in a tree view. 3. Highlight the Payment date field in the personalize form and select

the Skip check box in the area beside the tree. 4. Expand the PaymentInfo_Total group until you see the field

Amount. Highlight the Amount field. Type Payment Total in the label field in the area to the right of the tree.

5. Highlight the group of fields called PaymentInfo_Account. This group contains the customer number. Click the Up button below the tree to move the group to the top of the form above the PaymentInfo_TransDate group.

6. Expand the PaymentInfo_Account > PaymentInfo_PaymMode and select the Skip check box on the field Method of payment.

7. Expand the PaymentInfo_Account > OffsetAccountGroup and check the Skip option on the fields Offset account type and Offset account.




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8. Close the Personalization form. 9. Close the Enter customer payments form to return to the journal

header.

FIGURE 2.11 FORM PERSONALIZATION

Demonstration: Enter customer payment - Part 3

Follow these steps to enter the second payment with the new customer payment details form layout. Notice fewer keystrokes are required to enter the same transaction data.

1. Click Enter customer payments in the action pane. 2. Press tab to enter the customer number. Hint: The keyboard

shortcut to open the drop-down box is ALT+Down Arrow. Select customer 2003 Rainbow Hotel.

3. Press TAB to go to the Payment reference field. Enter the check number 390099.

4. Press TAB to go to the Description field. Enter the letter C. Autocomplete suggests the previously used text. Autocomplete can be disabled in user options.

5. Press TAB to go to the Payment Total field and enter the amount of $5502. Notice that the field label has changed from Amount.

6. Select the Mark check box to select invoice 101068. 7. Click Save in journal. 8. Click Close.




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9. Post the journal by clicking the >> button in the action pane to show more options. Select Post > Post.

10. Close the infolog. 11. Close the Payment journal form.

Workflow In Microsoft Dynamics AX, the term workflow is defined in two ways:

• Workflow is a System. This system is included in Microsoft Dynamics AX and provides functionality that can be used to create individual workflows, or to automate business processes.

• Workflow is a Business Process. This business process defines how a document "flows" through the system by displaying who must process and approve it.




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The following illustration shows an example of a purchase requisition workflow. This workflow shows which users must review and approve purchase requisitions. In this example Phyllis, the Accounting Manager must approve all purchase requisitions. If the requisition includes an item with a cost greater than $5,000.00 it will be routed for approval to Sara, the CFO. If the requisition includes an item of computer equipment, it will be routed for approval to Tim, the IT Manager.

FIGURE 2.12 EXAMPLE WORKFLOW FOR PURCHASE REQUISITION REVIEW AND APPROVAL

Benefits of Workflows

There are many benefits of using the Workflow system in an organization. Some key benefits are as follows:

• Consistent business processes. The Workflow system enables managers to implement the desired business process for specific documents, such as purchase requisitions and expense reports. By using the Workflow system, managers make sure that documents are reviewed and approved in a consistent and efficient manner.




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• Business process visibility. The Workflow system enables managers to track the status and history of a specific workflow. This enables the managers to analyze and determine whether changes must be made to the workflow to improve efficiency.

• Centralized work list. Users can view a centralized work list to view the tasks assigned to them by the workflow system. This work list is available from the Role Centers in the Microsoft Dynamics AX client and Enterprise Portal.

Working with Workflow

Workflow requirements are clearly visible to the end-user. A yellow workflow message bar appears at the top of the form if workflow processing is required. This makes it simple for the end-user to comply with business policy and reduces the risk of users taking actions to bypass required approvals.

Submitters and reviewers both work with the workflow message bar to take specific workflow-related actions. The button options change , depending on whether a user is submitting, approving or taking another type of action. This provides a consistent method of interacting with workflow.

Demonstration: Submit a workflow

Role: Julia, Marketing Executive.

Scenario: Julia needs to purchase Microsoft Access for some advanced market research. Purchase requisitions can be created in both the rich client and enterprise portal. Julia works in the rich client most of the time so she will create it in there.

Follow these steps to submit the purchase requisition:

1. Go to Procurement and Sourcing > Common > Purchase requisitions > Purchase requisitions prepared by me list page.

2. Click New > Purchase requisition in the action pane. 3. Enter Market research software as the Name. 4. Click OK. 5. Select Research as the Business justification - Reason. 6. Click the Add items button. 7. Select Procurement category Computer. 8. Highlight item D4 Access 2010. 9. Click the Select button. 10. Click OK.




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11. Click the Submit button in the yellow workflow message bar. 12. Enter the comment "Software needed for marketing research" and

then click the Submit button. 13. Close the Purchase requisition form.

Make sure that you have completed Step 2 and 3 of the Virtual Machine Setup Instructions that are included at the end of Chapter 1 of this training course before you start this demonstration.

Demonstration: Approve a workflow

Role: Phyllis, Accounting Manager.

Scenario: Phyllis receives a workflow task in the work list on her role center. She views the requisition and approves it. Log on to Microsoft Dynamics AX as Phyllis and approve the purchase requisition.

1. Click the Windows Start button. 2. Click the power button options and select Switch user.

FIGURE 2.13 POWER BUTTON OPTIONS

3. Press Ctrl-Atl-Del. 4. Select Other user. 5. Enter User name Phyllis and Password Pa$$w0rd. 6. Open Microsoft Dynamics AX. 7. Click OK to be prompted later to participate in the customer

experience improvement program. 8. The Work list displayed on Phyllis's Role center displays any

outstanding tasks, alerts or approvals. Select the Approval of purchase requisition task.

9. Look at the various approval options available. Click the Actions button and select open purchase requisition.

10. Phyllis reviews the request and approves the requisition. Click the Actions button in the yellow workflow bar and select Approve.

11. Click Approve to approve without a comment. 12. Close the Purchase requisition form. 13. Click the Windows Start button. 14. Click the power button options and select Switch user. 15. Select Contoso\Administrator.




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16. Enter Password Pa$$w0rd. 17. Press ENTER.

NOTE: An end-user can also see workflow alerts by clicking the Alert icon in the status bar or from File menu > Tools > Alerts - event inbox.

Make sure that you have completed Step 2 and 3 of the Virtual Machine Setup Instructions That Are Included at the end of Chapter 1 of this training course before you start this demonstration.

Demonstration: View workflow configuration

Role: Tim, IT Manager.

Scenario: Tim is responsible for maintaining the workflow rules for purchase requisition approval. He wants to check the current setup to make sure that it is correct.

1. Go to Procurement and Sourcing > Setup > Procurement and sourcing workflows form.

2. Select the workflow with the name of Purchase requisition review. 3. Click Maintain > Edit in the action pane. 4. Double-click the Approve purchase requisition icon in the

workflow explorer to view the approval steps. 5. Notice there are two approval steps. The first level is for All

purchase requisitions. The second is for purchase requisitions Greater than $100,000. Right-click the All purchase requisitions icon and select Properties to see more information about the approval step.

6. Click Assignment in the list on the left. Click the Role based tab to see that this approval step is assigned to the Accounting manager. Phyllis is the accounting manager so she will approve all purchase requisitions.

7. Click Close to return to the workflow steps. 8. Right-click the Greater than $100,000 icon and select Properties. 9. Click Assignment in the list on the left. Click the Role based tab to

see that this approval step is assigned to the Chief executive officer. Charlie is the CEO so he will also approve any purchase requisitions with a value of over $100,000.

10. Click Condition in the list on the left to see the condition that must be satisfied before this workflow step is activated.

11. Click Close to close the properties form. 12. Close the workflow form.




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Quick Tips Session Date

End-users can change their session date. This is useful if they are processing many transactions for a date other than the current day. This can help reduce data entry errors because they do not have to keep changing the date. Any time that you create a line with a date field, it will use the system date instead of the current date. For example, you can use this when back dating journals or posting invoices in advance.

You can change the session date by going to the File menu > Tools > Session date and time. You can also change it when you click on the date field if it is displayed in the status bar.

Note: The transaction created date and time always will be the current time. The audit trail always will show the actual date and time that the transaction was created regardless of the transaction date.

Field Entry

Date entry

If you type "d" in a date field it always will give the current session date.

If you type "t"in a date field it always will give the current date. This is useful if an end-user has changed the system date.

The month and year fields always will default to the current month/year. For example, if today is August 1 2011, you can type 15 to enter the date August 15 2011. Or you can type 0903 or 9/3 to enter the date September 3 2011.

Most punctuation keys can be used as the date separator including period, comma, forward slash or space.

Numerical entry

All numerical fields in Microsoft Dynamics AX act as a calculator. You can type a mathematical expression in a numerical field and it will return the result. For example, if you enter 1000*.95 in the sales lines price, the field will calculate $950.00.




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Filter In Grid

Filter in grid can be used to search and filter data wherever there is a list of data. For example in list page grids or drop downs.

CTRL+G or the Filter by grid button will make the first line a filter where you can enter criteria. The arrow at the end of the field gives the user filter options. This makes creating a filter simple because it adds the necessary wildcard characters such as *, >, <.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are available throughout Microsoft Dynamics AX and can reduce the need to use a mouse if an end-user prefers to only use the keyboard.

For a full list of keyboard shortcuts, refer to the Help. Search the Help for "shortcut keys".




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Lab 2.1 - User Options Scenario

Role: All roles

Challenge Yourself!

Scenario: Change your user options to meet the following requirements:

1. You will be away tomorrow on vacation. You are responsible for approving general ledger journals. You delegate all workflow approvals assigned to you to Charlie while you are away.

2. You want to display the time and date in the status bar. 3. You want to receive alerts by email.

Step by Step

1. Select the File menu. 2. Select Tools. 3. Select Options. 4. Select Delegation.

a. Click the Add button. b. Select Scope All. c. Select Delegate Charlie. d. Enter Start date tomorrow. e. Select End date tomorrow. f. Select the Enabled check box.

5. Select Status bar.

a. Select Show clock. b. Select Show session date.

6. Select Notifications.

a. Select Send notifications in email.




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Lab 2.2 - Customer Inquiry Scenario

Role: Arnie, Accounts Receivable

Challenge Yourself!

Scenario: Arnie is investigating customers. Follow these steps:

1. Find the customer account for Desert Wholesales. 2. View the primary address. 3. Find the average invoice amount. 4. Find the date of the last payment. 5. View the balance of the account. 6. View the open transactions on the account. 7. View a full transaction history. 8. Find which segment and sub segment they are in.

Need a Little Help?

• There are many way to find the information that is required in this lab. Try different options such as the following:

• All Customers list page. • FactBoxes • Actions in the Action pane. • Customer details form.

Step by Step

1. Go to Accounts receivable > Common > Customers > All customers 2. Enter desert in the quick filter. 3. Press ENTER. 4. Expand the Primary Address FactBox to view the address. 5. Expand the Statistics FactBox and then click Refresh to view the

average invoice amount of $6,336.84. 6. Expand the Recent activity FactBox to view the last payment date of

5/30/2008. 7. Click Transactions in the Action pane to see a full list of

transactions. 8. Close the Transactions form. 9. Double-click Desert Wholesales to view the details of the account. 10. Expand the Sales demographics tab to view the Segment and

Subsegment.




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Lab 2.3 - Create a Purchase Order Scenario

Role: Alicia, Purchasing

Scenario: Alicia is responsible for purchasing. Contoso Entertainment uses the Master Planning module so Alicia rarely has to manually create purchase orders. However, there is an urgent special order so she creates the purchase order immediately.

Challenge Yourself!

Create a purchase order with the following details:

1. Vendor: o 1001 - Earth Televisions

2. Item

o 1000 - LCD Television HD Black 42 Inch. o Quantity 100. o Unit Price $200.00. o Discount 5%.

There are many fields displayed in the purchase order line which Alicia is not interested in. Hide the following fields from the form:

• Budget check results. • Procurement category.

Print the purchase order to screen.

Need a Little Help?

• There are multiple ways to create a purchase order. For example: o Go to Procurement and sourcing > Common > Purchase

orders > All purchase orders. Click New > Purchase order in the action pane.

o Go to Accounts payable > Common > Vendors > All vendors. Select the correct vendor and then click New > Purchase order in the Procurement tab of the Action pane.

• To print the purchase order, go to Generate > Purchase order on the Purchase tab of the purchase order details. Make sure that you check the Print purchase order check box.




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Step by Step

1. Go to Procurement and sourcing > Common > Purchase orders > All purchase orders.

2. Click New > Purchase order in the action pane. 3. Select vendor 1001. 4. Click Yes to transfer vendor information. 5. Click OK. 6. Enter Item number 1000. 7. Enter Quantity 100. 8. Enter Unit price $200.00. 9. Enter Discount percent 5.00. 10. Right-click the Budget check results field and then click Hide. 11. Right-click the Procurement category field and then click Hide. 12. Close the details form to return to the list page. 13. Click Generate > Purchase order on the Purchase tab of the

Action pane. 14. Select the Print purchase order check box. 15. Click OK. 16. Close the Purchase order report. 17. Close the Purchase order details form.




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Summary The rich client interface is the client application that is installed on an end-user's computer. It is designed to make users more efficient in how they work with the system.

The client workspace is divided into areas for menus, toolbars and the content pane. List pages are primarily designed for viewing and searching lists of data. Master details forms are used to view and edit master records. Transaction details forms are designed for fast and efficient data entry.

The workspace is highly personalizable to an end-users needs.

Help is available from many sources. Help is available which documents the functionality available.




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Test Your Knowledge Test your knowledge with the following questions.

1. Which menu can you find the following options in?

_____ 1. Default Form View/Edit Mode _____ 2. Session date and time _____ 3. New workspace _____ 4. Personalize _____ 5. Organize favorites _____ 6. Application user help

a. File menu > Favorites b. Windows menu c. File menu > View d. File menu > Command e. Help menu f. File menu > Tools

2. What is the purpose of a list page? (2 correct answers)

( ) View records ( ) Edit records ( ) Find records ( ) Enter transactions

3. Which of these is a valid way to create a new purchase order? (Select all that apply)

( ) Sales and Marketing module > All sales quotations list page > New Purchase order action

( ) Procurement and Sourcing module > All purchase orders list page > New Purchase order action

( ) Sales and Marketing module > All sales orders list page > New Purchase order action

( ) Accounts payable module > All vendors list page > Procurement tab > New Purchase order action




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4. What is the keyboard shortcut for each of the following actions?

_____ 1. Help _____ 2. Move the focus to the address bar _____ 3. Print _____ 4. Filter by grid _____ 5. Create a record _____ 6. Refresh the form

a. CTRL+N b. F1 c. CTRL+P d. CTRL+G e. F5 f. F11

5. Which of these settings can be changed in a user's options available in the File > Tools menu? (Select all that apply)

( ) Language ( ) Show company account in status bar ( ) Hide navigation pane ( ) Send all alerts as email messages




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Quick Interaction: Lessons Learned Take a moment and write down three key points you have learned from this chapter

1.

2.

3.




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Solutions Test Your Knowledge

1. Which menu can you find the following options in?

c 1. Default Form View/Edit Mode f 2. Session date and time b 3. New workspace d 4. Personalize a 5. Organize favorites e 6. Application user help

a. File menu > Favorites b. Windows menu c. File menu > View d. File menu > Command e. Help menu f. File menu > Tools

2. What is the purpose of a list page? (2 correct answers)

(√) View records ( ) Edit records (√) Find records ( ) Enter transactions

3. Which of these is a valid way to create a new purchase order? (Select all that apply)

( ) Sales and Marketing module > All sales quotations list page > New Purchase order action

(√) Procurement and Sourcing module > All purchase orders list page > New Purchase order action

( ) Sales and Marketing module > All sales orders list page > New Purchase order action

(√) Accounts payable module > All vendors list page > Procurement tab > New Purchase order action




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4. What is the keyboard shortcut for each of the following actions?

b 1. Help f 2. Move the focus to the address bar c 3. Print d 4. Filter by grid a 5. Create a record e 6. Refresh the form

a. CTRL+N b. F1 c. CTRL+P d. CTRL+G e. F5 f. F11

5. Which of these settings can be changed in a user's options available in the File > Tools menu? (Select all that apply)

(√) Language (√) Show company account in status bar (√) Hide navigation pane (√) Send all alerts as email messages



chapter 2: basic navigation - augusta...

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