PowerPM Reference Manual
Getting Acquainted With PowerPM
Chapter 3 - Getting Acquainted
PowerPM for Windows Selection ....................... 3-1
ID & Password .............................................. 3-1
Change Password ........................................3-1
Launcher .............................................................. 3-2
Pull-Down Menus .........................................3-2
System Messages ........................................3-2
Timekeepers ................................................. 3-2
Mode ............................................................. 3-2
Windows Shortcut Buttons ........................ 3-2
Exit PowerPM ............................................... 3-2
General Operation ............................................... 3-3
Client and File Selection .............................3-3
File ID Selection ........................................... 3-3
Date Selection .............................................. 3-3
Screen Navigation ....................................... 3-4
Copy to Clipboard ....................................... 3-4
Color Selection ............................................ 3-4
Spell Check .......................................................... 3-5
Create Validation Files ........................................3-7
System Messages ............................................. 3-10
System Message Listing .................................. 3-12
Table of Contents Chapter 3
Launching
This is not blakn
PowerPM Reference Manual
Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
PowerPM for Windows Selection
ID and Password
select
Overview
Select PowerPM
In the Windows Desktop, double click on the
PowerPM icon.
A splash screen will be displayed. After entering your ID and
Password, click the OK button to continue or the CANCEL
button to exit PowerPM.
The splash screen will remember the last ID entered on this
workstation, so that you may only have to enter your password.
The default ID/password for the database is CLI/MASTER.
Change Password
Chapter 3
You may change your password. First enter your current
password, then click on the Change Password button. A dialog
box will open in which you may enter a new password. Retype
the new password to confirm that you have entered it correctly.
Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
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Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
Commercial Logic, Inc.
Launcher
The full PowerPM system is available from the Menu Bar
displayed across the top of the PowerPM Launcher. Each item is
a pull-down menu of PowerPM programs and functions.
Pull-Down Menu Bar
The Files menu has the following system commands:
The launcher detects the presence of system messages for this
workstation. If found, Please Review System Messages is
displayed in red in the box usually occupied by the firm name in
the lower left corner of the menu bar.
System Messages
To review and purge system messages, click on this message or
select System Messages on the Display Menu.
Active / Licensed Timekeepers
The number of active timekeepers and the number of Licensed
timekeepers are noted. The number of active timekeepers cannot
exceed the number of Licensed Timekeepers. Additional
Timekeeper can be added in blocks of five at any time by calling
Commercial Logic.
Mode
Multi-User or Single-User mode will be shown.
Windows Shortcut Buttons
PowerPM Windows applications may be accessed from the
launcher by clicking on the desired icon or from drop down
menus by clicking on the name.
Exit PowerPM
To exit the system, click on the QUIT icon on the application
launch bar, or select Exit on the Files pull-down menu.
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Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
General Operation
Overview
Client Selection
Click in the Client ID or Name box to select a client. You may
enter a partial ID or partial name. The program will return the
client that most closely matches your entry starting at the left
field (e.g. if 200 is entered and is not a valid ID, the program will
return 2000 before 199).
or
Use the VCR buttons to scroll through the list of valid client IDs
or names. The inner arrows move through the list one at a time;
the outer arrows (with line) move directly to the first or last
client.
File ID Selection
All available files for the selected client will be listed on a drop
down menu from the file box. Press <Enter> to select the default,
or select a file from the menu using the arrow keys or clicking on
the file name.
Date Selection
Control Dates are entered by clicking in the entry field to display
a drop down menu of valid control dates or by using the arrow
keys in the entry field to move through the valid entries.
Transaction dates are selected from a calendar by using the
arrow keys or the mouse. The month and year may be changed
by using the VCR buttons at the top of the calendar. Close the
calendar by clicking on the selected day.
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Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
Screen Navigation
Commercial Logic, Inc.
In addition to the mouse, the <Tab> key moves you through the
fields on a screen. <Shift><Tab> backs up through the fields.
The arrow keys may be used in place of the mouse to move
through the fields in a table, the choices in an entry field, or on a
drop-down menu.
Copying to the Clipboard
Any client or file information field may be copied to the Windows
clipboard. This is useful when client information is needed in
another Windows application. To copy information, click on the
desired field. A dialog box will appear informing you that you
are copying the selected information to the clipboard. Select OK
to copy the information or CANCEL to not copy the information.
Color Selection
To change the color of a screen item (text, file tabs, name bars,
etc.), click with the right mouse on the item. If the color may be
changed the color palette will be displayed. Left click on the
desired color and then on OK. (Note that if you click in a data
field you may get the copy prompt.)
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Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
Spell Check
If a word is not in the dictionary the following screen will open:
Not Found
Not found in the dictionary; may be incorrectly spelled.
Replace With
A possible correction to the word.
Suggestions
Clicking the top Suggestions button lists words that contain all
the letters in the incorrect word (i.e. if you wanted "field" but
typed "fild," the suggestions would be all words containing "f-i-ld." Clicking the second Suggestions button displays a list of
words containing the letters of the Replace With word.
Ignore
Ignore All
Leave the word as spelled.
Leave the word as spelled throughout the Spell Check process.
Replace
Replace All
Replace the misspelled word with the "replace with" word.
Replace all instances of the misspelled word.
Prompt Replace
Correct all misspelled words with ones that Spell Check selects
and automatically return you to the Edit Transaction screen.
Add to Custom
Add the unrecognized word to the dictionary file. Spell Check
will no longer prompt you to correct the word.
Cancel Spell Check
Close Spell Check and return to the transaction entry screen.
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Overview
Spell Check is available within the comment fields in both the
Time and Expense Edit Transaction dialog boxes. To spell check
a comment press the Spell✓ button. If the words are all spelled
correctly, the following screen will be displayed.
Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
Commercial Logic, Inc.
The Options dialog box allows you to customize Spell Check:
Options
Search Options
On the left of the box are options to customize the search process:
Automatic Suggestions - Automatically generate a list of
potential words (not limited to the letters in the original word).
Exact Match Required - Not recommended. All words must
match dictionary entries exactly (including capital letters).
Ignore Full Caps - Do not check all caps (such as acronyms).
Ignore Partial Numbers - Do not check alphanumeric words.
Ignore Pure Numbers - Do not check numeric entries.
Allow Joined Words - Do not check hyphenated words.
Recheck Typed Replaces - Spell Check user-replacement words.
Open standard.vtc
Open custom.vtc
A supplied dictionary that cannot be modified.
The custom file for user-entered dictionary additions. TrakTime
looks for this file in the TrakTime directory first (local or
network) and then in the C:\windows\system folder.
Abbreviations which are automatically “exploded” to another
string when entered into a comment are added by opening
custom.vtc in notepad, wordpad, or another word processor.
Abbreviations are case sensitive (may be mixed case), and cannot
be the same as a word in the dictionary. Each abbreviation is
entered on its own line followed by <Enter> as follows:
Abbreviation / <space> / ? / open quote / phrase / close quote / <enter>
e.g.: JD ?“John Doe” where typing “JD” results in John Doe
Note: Always <enter> after the last line in the list.
Performance Speed
Suggestion Search Limit
OK/Cancel
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Speed that the computer finds words in the dictionary. The faster
the search, the more memory used to search the dictionaries.
Determines the number of words found to replace the misspelled
word. The higher the number, the more words you have to
choose from and vice versa.
Save the changed options/return the original options.
Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
Chapter 3
PowerPM Reference Manual
Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
Create Validation Files
With this program you can automatically create a validation file
in the PowerPM PMD subdirectory containing valid IDs and
codes for use with PMLookup, while simultaneously creating a
validation file elsewhere for use with TrakTime, Millenium
TrakTime or another remote work entry program.
The validation file may contain all work codes and client IDs, or
only those for a particular office, region, or management level. A
file for the entire firm is TT.VAL or TT.MDB, specific files are
YYY.VAL or YYY.MDB where YYY is the office, region, or staff
ID.
Changes in IDs or codes are not reflected in the validation file.
You must recreate the val file to reflect code or ID changes.
TrakTime Val Files
Before any work can be entered into TrakTime a validation file
containing valid IDs and codes in PowerPM must be created.
TrakTime creates configuration files only for staff found in the
validation file and requires a validation file for selection and
verification of clients and codes. The validation file name and
directory is entered into TrakTime configuration.
Program Selection
Select Create Val File on the Utilities menu of the PowerPM
menu bar. You will be prompted to quit other CLI applications
before proceeding.
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Overview
Overview
Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
Commercial Logic, Inc.
Create Validation file for PowerPM
Check this box for automatic creation of a validation file in the
PMD subdirectory of your PowerPM system for use with
PMLookup. The directory where the validation file will reside is
displayed.
Also Create
To simultaneously create a validation file in another directory for
use with TrakTime or other work entry program select:
None - do not create val files for remote work entry.
MDB file for MTT - create a val file for Millenium TrakTime.
VAL file for other versions of TrakTime - TT/T or TT/S.
PMV files - create a val file in PMV format for other work entry
programs. PMV files contain raw ID and code information from
PowerPM which may be structured as you wish for use with
remote work entry systems. This file cannot be used with
TrakTime. You will be prompted whether to include office IDs.
Output Directory
Enter the directory on which the file should be placed. If you
have chosen to create validation files for TrakTime enter the
TrakTime directory. The program remembers the last entered
directory and defaults to that directory the next time you bring
up the screen.
Browse - Use the browse window to easily locate and insert the
network destination directory for the validation file.
Start/Close
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Start - Proceed to create the validation files.
Close - Abandon the screen without creating the files.
Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
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PowerPM Reference Manual
Create Files by
Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
Firm - Create one val file with IDs and codes for entire firm.
Office - Create a val file for each selected office containing only
the client/files that are assigned that office ID in Client or File
Information.
Region - Create a val file for each selected region. Offices are
assigned to regions in Office Information. Each region val file
will contain all client/files assigned to all offices that are
assigned to that region.
Management 1,2,3,4,5 - Create a val file for each selected staff
member at the selected management level containing only those
client/file IDs for whom that staff member is listed at that
management level in Client or File Information. For example, if
AFS is the M1 billing partner for 50 out of 3000 clients, the
AFS.VAL file will include only those 50 client/file IDs.
All Staff/Office or Region Staff Only If you are creating files by office or region indicate whether the
val files will contain all staff IDs or only those staff assigned to
the selected offices (or offices in the selected region) in Staff
Information.
Select All/Select None
Chapter 3
If you choose to create validation files by office, region, or
management a list of available offices, regions, or staff will be
displayed. Click on an item to select (highlight) or deselect. For
ease of selection you may select (highlight) the entire list or none
of the list, and then make specific selection changes.
Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
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Overview
This prompt refers to TrakTime validation file creation only. A
firmwide validation file is named TT.VAL, specific files are
named YYY.VAL where YYY = office, region, or staff ID.
Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
Commercial Logic, Inc.
Review System Messages
Overview
The lower left of the Launch Bar will display a message in red if
system messages exist. Click to bring up the Message Display.
Report Name
A list of all messages is displayed. To display a message,
highlight the file name and then click on OK.
Delete
System Messages are not automatically deleted. After review you
may save the message or delete it. If you do not delete the
messages the Launch Bar will continue to indicate that messages
exist and you will not be aware of new messages as they occur.
List All Reports
In multi-user systems the default lists only messages generated
by the current user. “List All” lists messages for all users.
Selected Message (Partial)
A partial display of the message. Click OK to view the whole
message.
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Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
Overview
File Menu
Open* - Open other message files.
Save As - Copy the file to another directory and/or rename the
copy. The copy will not be deleted with the original message.
Page Setup - Display only, may not be changed.
Print Preview* - Display the whole message onscreen.
Print* - Print the message.
Exit - Same as Quit Text.
View Menu
Status - Display a text status bar at the bottom of the screen.
Ruler - Display a ruler at the top of the screen.
Control Characters* - Display the text formatting characters.
Zoom - Change % display.
* Also accessed by control buttons at the top of the display.
Purge Text
Delete the message file. A moved or renamed copy will not be
deleted.
Quit Text
Exit the message display but do not delete the message.
A listing of System Messages is found on the following pages.
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Commercial Logic, Inc.
System Message Listing
System Messages are created during a non-interactive data management process.
BILL POSTING ERROR MESSAGE
Incorrect WIP for required
These messages indicate that the named client/file’s bill could not
be posted and meet the requirement of clearing a specified
amount of work and achieving a specified write up/write down.
The bill was not posted. Examine the account and either purge
the bill or change it so that it can be posted.
If system configuration has been set to change these bills to
progress bills during posting the bill will be changed to a
progress bill and posted. This fact will be noted in the report.
CLIENT/FILE WIP FEE WIP EXP BILL AMT WRITE UP
99999.99 99999.99
99999.99 99999.99
PAYMENT POSTING ERROR MESSAGE
An overpayment has been entered and posted. The original
payment was applied to bills and reduced by the amount indicated. The excess payment has been posted as a retainer payment.
CLIENT/FILE ID: cccccc/ffffff AMOUNT: 999999.99
STATEMENT CREATION
ERROR MESSAGE
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No statement created because a payment is after the statement
(payment date after statement control date). Leave as is, reverse
and re-enter the payment or change system configuration to
unconditional statement creation.
Getting Acquainted with PowerPM
Chapter 3