Chapter 1. Getting started
The Jobflow Manager is an administration tool for managing jobs. It enables you to define a workflow for each job by breaking it down into a series of tasks. Each task has a number of properties that specify when it should commence, the duration of the task, who is responsible etc.
Tasks can be set to run concurrently or sequentially within the job.
The Jobflow Manager also allows you to set alarms to notify staff after a specified number of days.
You are able to generate reports on the progress of tasks. These reports also provide information about the tasks on which each staff member is working.
You can use the Document Manager to attach relevant documents to tasks. You can also record any documents that are required to be completed as part of a task.
You can create master template jobs that contain the tasks to be completed. You do this by entering information into the master template, such as the duration of each task, documents required, any lodgments etc. When a new job of that type is required then all you have to do is enter the commencement date and the assigned staff member.
If you have the Sage HandiSoft Time+Billing 2015 program installed, you can link jobs and tasks created in the Jobflow Manager to automatically created jobs in Time+Billing.
Each job has the following properties:
Duration of the tasks
Staff member responsible for the job
Staff members responsible for the tasks
Partner and Manager responsible for the job.
Name for the job and tasks
Description of the job tasks
Progress of the job
A list of notes made about the job and tasks
A list of alarms and actions should the task run overtime
A list of documents attached to the task
The Task Navigator includes a Gantt chart of each task within a job to clearly indicate the steps and durations involved.
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Chapter 1. Getting started Jobflow Manager 2015
The "Jobflow Manager" window
The Jobflow Manager is part of the Practice Manager suite and is accessed via Practice
Manager – Contact.
Opening the Jobflow Manager
1. Start Practice Manager – Contact.
2. Any of the following actions will open the Jobflow Manager.
Press Ctrl F9.
From the Documents menu, click Jobflow Manager.
On the Access Panel, click the Jobflow Manager button.
Tip: You can open the Jobflow Manager from any of your HandiSoft programs.
Press Ctrl F9 or, from the Document menu, click Jobflow Manager.
This will open the " Jobflow Manager " window.
Figure 1: The "Jobflow Manager" window
The "Jobflow Manager" window consists of an Access Panel on the left and a job list pane on the right. Clicking the Access Panel buttons causes the job list pane on the right to display a specific list of jobs.
To set job list columns
The job list has up to ten columns with information about each job. You can select the columns that you want displayed, from one column to all ten. To do this:
1. Click Options to open the "Jobflow Options" window.
2. Under Columns to Show, select the check boxes next to columns to be displayed.
For more information on the Access Panel, refer to Chapter 2, "The Access Panel".
Tip: For information on the Jobflow Manager" windows, press F1 to display the online help.
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Jobflow Manager 2015 Preference settings
Preference settings
Users can customise the way the information is displayed in the "Jobflow Manager" window, and the way jobs and tasks are handled to suit their individual preferences and requirements.
Setting window preferences
You can specify the colours in which the jobs and tasks are displayed, as well as the columns that are shown in the job listings.
1. On the "Jobflow Manager" window, click Options to open the "Jobflow Options" window.
Figure 2: The "Jobflow Options" window
2. Under General, Gantt Chart, Columns to Show, and Job Colours, complete the fields to suit your requirements.
Tip: For information on the "Jobflow Options" window, press F1 to display the online help.
Setting task preferences
Practice Manager To Do List
You can specify that your current tasks are automatically entered as To Do List items in Practice
Manager – Contact.
Practice Manager – Contact will create a To Do List called
Jobflow Mgr, and add your tasks to it . As each task is completed, you will be asked if is to be removed from the To Do list and replaced with the next task to be completed.
1. On the "Jobflow Manager" window, click Options to open the "Jobflow Options" window.
2. Under Tasks, select the Show my tasks in Practice Manager To Do List check box to add your current tasks to the Jobflow Mgr To Do List in Practice Manager – Contact.
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Chapter 1. Getting started Jobflow Manager 2015
Status levels
The progress of each task is indicated by the status you give it. You can specify that, as a task is completed, the following task is automatically given the next status.
The Jobflow Manager is supplied with the following statuses:
Not Started
In Progress
Completed
On Hold
You can change the order in which they are listed and add your own user-created statuses.
1. On the "Jobflow Manager" window, click Options to open the "Jobflow Options" window.
2. To automatically move tasks to the next status: Under Tasks, select the Automatically
change to next Status when task is completed check box.
3. To add and edit user created statuses, click
Status Levels to open the “Status Levels” window.
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Figure 3: The "Status Levels" window
4. Click Add, Edit or Delete to create, edit or remove user-created statuses. Use the and
arrow buttons to change the listing order of a status. Use the buttons to add or remove statuses to and from the
In Progress list.
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Jobflow Manager 2015 Preference settings
Note: Statuses in the In Progress list are those that indicate that the task is in progress.
This is used by Time+Billing to determine whether the task information can be entered into timesheets for invoicing.
5. Click Default to revert to the supplied status list. User-created statuses that are not currently selected for tasks will be deleted.
Listing your tasks when starting Jobflow Manager
Every time you start Jobflow Manager 2015, the “My Tasks” window will open, listing your tasks.
Click the Overdue Tasks tab to list only those of your tasks that are overdue for completion.
Figure 4: The "My Tasks" window
If you do not want this window to open in the future, you can clear the
Show when starting
Jobflow check box.
If you want to reinstate this window opening on startup, do the following.
1. On the "Jobflow Manager" window, click Options to open the "Jobflow Options" window.
2. Under Tasks, select the Show my ‘Overdue Tasks’ when staring Jobflow check box.
3. Click OK to close the “Jobflow Options” window.
Setting up Resource Planning
1. On the "Jobflow Manager" window, click Options to open the "Jobflow Options" window.
2. Under Resource Planner, select the Enable Resource Planner checkbox to enable the
Resource Planning facility.
Select how units are to be allocated to tasks, and the highlight colours and levels to be used when displaying staff member allocation load percentages on the “Resource Planning” window.
For more information on resource planning, see Chapter 6 – Resource Planning.
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Chapter 1. Getting started Jobflow Manager 2015
Integration with Time+Billing
If you have the Sage HandiSoft Time+Billing 2015 program installed, you can specify that jobs and tasks you create in Jobflow Manager 2015 automatically create and link to jobs in
Time+Billing. This enables you to manage staff timesheets, invoices and receipts from Jobflow
Manager jobs. Any changes you make in either Time+Billing 2015 or Jobflow Manager 2015 will be automatically updated in the other program.
Configuring Jobflow Manager
You have to do the following before Jobflow Manager 2015 automatically creates Time+Billing
2015 jobs.
1. On the Jobflow Manager 2015 main window, click
Options to open the “Jobflow Options” window.
2. Under General, select the Link Jobs to Time+Billing check box.
3. If you require the Jobflow Manager 2015 main window to show Jobs that are linked to
Time+Billing 2015 jobs, under Columns to Show, select the Time+Billing Job check box to display the
T+B Job column.
4. Click
OK to save your changes and close the “Jobflow Options” window.
Viewing Time+Billing jobs
You can view jobs that have been created in Time+Billing 2015 by highlighting a job on the
Jobflow Manager 2015 main window and clicking T+B Job. The Time+Billing 2015 “Jobs for:” window will open.
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