optymo user interface guide nov 2015 -...

User interface overview

INLYNK -‐ Confidential – November 2015

The Optymo user interface guide Reading note: in this document the underlined texts refer to window labels or labels related to Optymo buttons. The bold texts refer to information contained in the screenshots.

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 1

Optymo’s main window ..................................................................................................................................... 2

Search commands ............................................................................................................................................. 3

The main Optymo icons ..................................................................................................................................... 4

Operation windows ........................................................................................................................................... 4

General structure of the windows ............................................................................................................ 5

The icon banners ...................................................................................................................................... 6

The size of the windows ........................................................................................................................... 8

Drop-‐down lists ......................................................................................................................................... 8

Navigating in a field .................................................................................................................................. 8

Focus management .................................................................................................................................. 9

The lockers ................................................................................................................................................ 9

Progression icon ....................................................................................................................................... 9

Contextual menus ................................................................................................................................... 10

Confirmation windows .................................................................................................................................... 10

Tables management in Optymo ...................................................................................................................... 10

The color codes in the tables .................................................................................................................. 11

More guides, more information ...................................................................................................................... 12

Introduction Optymo is a very powerful software, covering a wide range of tasks executed by many users in the company, who proposes a rich set of commands allowing to treat a high number of different operations. It is therefore important to understand presentation and execution logic. In this document, we present the main elements of the user interface, which will help you to apprehend the global functioning of its user interface and the main concepts established. The majority of windows are structured in the same way and using the same icons at the same places, making the using much more coherent when the main principles are understood.



Optymo’s main window

The central zone (in grey) is the working zone in which the Optymo windows will open; it is somehow Optymo’s office. The windows that you open can be moved into this working zone. The pull-‐down menus give you access to the Optymo’s main operations and operate in the conventional ‘’Windows” way. Some commands are associated to shortcuts by function keys or can have subcommands. You can find in the menu file (see the screenshot on the left) icons that are also found in the icon blocks and are shortcuts to directly access Optymo’s functions. Such as clicking

on the System command of the File menu, click on the icon or press the <F11> key both give access to the same Optymo elements (but not always with the same options).

The icons are grouped into blocks corresponding to the main Optymo functions. While passing the mouse on the icon, a tooltip indicates its function. Each block can be independently moved and reorganized in lines (such as two lines at the top of the screen) or on the four sides of the screen (see example below).

Icons blocks launching main Optymo functions

Launch scrolling menus

Optymo wokbench Report field and report execution icon

Information area

Launch wizard



To move a block, click on the vertical dotted bar on the left of the block to make the symbol appear and maintain down the left button of the mouse, move the block to place it at the desired place. You can also customize the block (delete or add icons, reorganize them...) by clicking on the triangle at the lower right of the block. At the bottom of the Optymo window is a banner that indicates the current time on the right, displays an information zone in the center, such as the command’s action that has the focus of the mouse (as here Add new supplier) and a zone on the left that indicates:

• The number of the connected post • Changes color during server connections • Allows knowing on which server the station is connected by moving the mouse on this zone

(underneath, the station is connected to the Admin server)

Search commands The Search block of commands offers icons providing direct access to search and select functions:

• The left icon (Access favourite supplier website) allows direct access to the web site of a supplier defined as the favourite in the EDI parameters. You can access to your preferred supplier or search engine in one click.

• The second icon (Find component) opens the Select part window from the main screen, without having to open first the part window.



These functions are also available from the Find option of the File menu. Other direct search will be added in future versions of Optymo.

The main Optymo icons This document often refers to Optymo icons and some of them are described through the document. Here is a reminder of the software’s main icons:

Note: when you find in an Optymo window the icons that refer to a type of record in the database (Parts, BOMs, Production/Work orders, Customers, Suppliers), they indicate an action or an access linked to that type of record. Thereby, in the BOM, the three icons on the right allow to work on the BOM, the production or the parts.

Operation windows Clicking on one of the icons or on a command of a pull-‐down menu will open an operation window dedicated to the specific Optymo functions, especially for the different types of record management: parts, BOMs, suppliers, customers...



Note: it is possible to open several operation windows in Optymo. Take note that the first window opened is the master window and that the following open windows will be ‘’slaves” of the master window. This has two effects:

• The information displayed in the slave windows will be related to the master window. If you open the Parts window as the BOM window is open, the part displayed will be the one selected in the BOM

• The modifications made in the slave windows will only be definitely validated in the Optymo base when the master window will be closed and the modifications confirm during this closing.

• When a report is run, a new window opens which usually list other records than the current one. When the report display window is closed (Close button), Optymo points to the record selected in the report. To return to the record displayed before running the report, you must press the ALT key when closing the report window. This behavior can be reversed (back to the original record) by checking the Reverse behavior [ALT] ... in the User settings tab of the Preferences window.

Most of the operational windows are built around a similar structure, even if the particular contents can vary according to the displayed information. We won’t detail each window here but we will focus on the general structure and the common elements.

General structure of the windows Most of the operational Optymo windows display many section (up to three main sections). The screenshot below (a supplier’s order) gives a good example of this structure:

• An upper zone will allow selecting the record on which you are working, to display or select certain supplementary settings for that record and so some icons control the focus and display (see later in focus management).

• A median zone with a series of tab, every tab allows knowing or adding data concerning this record.

• A lower zone in a table form, whose content can be modified by the upper zone icons. Each table can concern a different view or a step of a process.

Note that in some windows, several different tables can be displayed, and it is sometimes possible to hide the tab area to have a larger work area for the tables.



The icon banners Every operational window has an inferior banner that proposes a series of icons, an information zone and the close buttons. The illustration icons below are the ones that can be find more commonly in the banner. They allow (from left to right in the example below) to navigate in the base (come back to the first record, to previous, to next, to last), add a record (adding is done on the element that has the focus), insert a new record (the insertion is done just before the selected data at this moment), delete the last entered information (this icon is red when active), rename the element that has the focus, copy, paste, copy while incrementing, search a record and open the contextual menu. If a zone is grayed, it’s inactive at that moment. By moving the mouse over the icon, a tool tip will indicate its function.

depending on the windows, you will frequently have other icons such as:

To reorganize the records (bring up, down, sort)

To execute (a report, a research, edit...)

To execute a calculation or update a table

To display more details on this record, this field, this data.

There are often two options to add elements, one to add further , the other one to insert the new

record or a new data . In the case of an insertion, it’s done just before the data selected at that



moment. According to the windows, other specific icons for this window’s functions will also be in this banner. The central banner of the opened window is an information banner that typically indicates the number in the record’s base actually present and the total number of records from this category in the base (here the 9th one on 9).

Warning, when the index in this banner is red, it’s because you don’t have the control on this window anymore. In this case, you won’t be able to accomplish modifications on

this record; they wouldn’t be taken into account in the database (usually, Optymo stops you from editing the fields in this window). Principally because of three causes:

• The current record’s release time (defined in the settings, see the administrator of the Optymo configuration) has exceeded.

• Another user has the control of this record and is working on it. In this case, by double clicking on this banner, you can see which other user is currently working on the record.

• The window has been open in consultation mode and not in modification. In this case, there is no OK and Cancel buttons, only a Close button.

The closing button(s) allow to close the master window by accepting the modifications (OK) or by refusing them (Cancel). It the case of a slave window, the button is labeled Close. It closes the window and the changes will be validated (or not) at the closure of the master window. Some windows can present an additional panel on the right, like here for the favorite Suppliers’ classification. In this case, you can find a vertical icons banner that specifically applies to that panel and in which you will find the same type of functions as the ones shown above.

Caution: if in a window, you find two icon banners, one at that bottom and one on the right, like in the case of the Addresses tab of the Suppliers file. The lower panel applies to the principal element (here, the supplier). The addition, deleting or change operations of the name will be applied on the supplier.



The right banner applies to the elements related to the currently opened tab: the icons on the right let you add or delete an address...

The size of the windows As in every Windows application, you can manage the size of the windows you can maximize or

minimize them and bring them back to their initial size with the icons that are located at the top right of the Optymo window. Even if the windows can be closed with the cross, we recommend you to use the OK, Cancel and Close buttons.

Drop-‐down lists In many cases, the fields of the Optymo windows are being presented as pull-‐down lists. This means that the textual zone of the field is bordered with a clickable arrow, which offers the user the list of the possible and predefined choices for this field.

By clicking on the arrow, you open the list of options in which you make your choice by clicking it. In this case, it is impossible to directly enter a text in the corresponding text field.

Navigating in a field In certain cases, it is possible to navigate in the different values of a field. For example, in the BOMs, work orders or categories/subcategories list, or then again when many addresses exist for a client or supplier, you can navigate between these records:

• With the lower banner’s icon to come back to the first record or the previous one, go to the next or last one. The action focuses on the selected field (this field must appeared highlighted in blue like in the example below). Be careful, if the focus is on a table instead of the desired field, the icons (like the keyboard and mouse actions underneath) will act on the table’s line.

• With the up/down arrows on the keyboard (this field must be selected). The median banner of the window gives you the index of the displayed record in this type of global records list.

• With the mouse’s wheel to go up or down in the list. Like for the previous options, this field must be selected.

• With the access arrow to the drop-‐down list. • In many cases, by entering the first character of the searched label, the field points on the first

entry of this type beginning with that character (the label is displayed in the field), which can make the research in long lists way easier. In some cases, (the customer file, as example), you must press the <Tab> key to validate the entry.



• With the blue up and down icons on the right in certain fields.

Focus management Some Optymo windows can display several information concerning the same record. For example, here for the BOM File, it displays the reference information (name, revision) of the BOM in the median area of the window and its content (parts) or the production’s steps in the lower area. According to the creation/modification step of where the user is, the focus will have to be transferred (which means, the part of the window on which he is active), generally by clicking an icon. This icon is located in a banner at the top right of the window. Take note that in certain cases, the transfer of the focus icon allows to indicate Optymo the type of element on which you will work in the lower part.

The lockers In many Optymo windows, a locker associated to a data field can be found. The role of this locker is to allow locking or unlocking the modification of this field and eventually associated fields. This locker can

either be green (unlocked), red (locked) or gray (inactive). In the Parts window, you can lock/unlock in a click all padlocks of higher levels by pressing the <Shift> key when clicking on the padlock. So by clicking the padlock subcategory 3 with the <Shift> key, it locks/unlocks the padlock for subcategories 1 and 2 and for the main category. Once a locker is activated, the locked data will only be able to be modified by users that have the rights to access these data in modification.

Progression icon In some Optymo operations (orders for example), the process evolves by changing the status of the current record by clicking

Icon transferring focus

BOM Reference information

List of parts of the BOM



on the progress icon on the right of the Status field. When placing the mouse over the icon, a tool tip (also displayed in the lower information banner of Optymo) indicates the operation performed by changing status (validation or classification, for example). The icon is grayed out if no progress is possible (eg classify an unfinished order).

Contextual menus According to the windows, and mostly in the lists display, the right click of the mouse can give you access to a contextual menu. As the name says it, this menu varies according to the windows and lists. It allows generic operations like selections, imports, reports... or more specific to this window (for example, transfers in a work order.

The options displayed grayed in a contextual menu are not accessible in the context of a menu’s call. An arrow ultimately indicates a choice between different options for this option. You only have to place the mouse on the line to open the contextual submenu and execute the command.

Confirmation windows When leaving a window with the Cancelled button, Optymo displays a confirmation window so that you can quit without recording your modifications. You can then save your changes (Yes), quit without recording (No) or come back to the window (Cancel).

Tables management in Optymo In many Optymo windows, the data is presented under as a table. It is the case of the Contacts tab of the Suppliers file in this example:

For more information on the tables in Optymo, refer to the dedicated application note (in the support section on the Inlynk website). To customize these tables, double-‐click on any label of the table. This will open a window that allows you to:



• Modify the labels of the displayed columns ! enter a new text in the label column of this field • Add or delete some columns of the display (take note that deleting a column won’t delete the

data in the base) ! check or uncheck the visible box of this field. • Reformate this field’s zone ! modify the Width auto, Height auto, Alignment, maxi, mini fields. • Choose the user fields to be displayed in the table. Each table has a certain number of

predefined fields and you can add some ! enter a label, select the associated user field (it must have been created previously) and define the format of the column.

You can also move one or many columns:

• Click a column’s label (its background will turn black). If you want to move two contiguous columns, maintain the mouse’s button pressed down and move it onto the next column.

• Click again on the label, slide and drop the selected column on the desired place.

The color codes in the tables Optymo presents the data in the tables based on a color code and a font format that you may find in the set of windows and allows the user a fast analysis of the table’s data as well as those who require its possible attention. Down below are the color/font codes. In general:

• Black ! automatic values: they are determined by Optymo and come from the data that are already in the base. They can be not editable. If they are, they turn blue after the modification.

• Blue ! the default color: data locally entered or data resulting from the base that has been locally entered.



• Red ! error color, indicates a problem in the line: if the stock is insufficient for the operation, if some prices haven’t been validated (for example, the request has been made for two providers and one hasn’t responded), if the indicated dates have been exceeded...

• Green ! finished process, indicates that the parameters are OK for the cell (sufficient stock, verified prices...)

• Purple ! processing in progress: after the treatment, the data will turn green (finished process) or red (error or insufficiency after treatment)

In some cases, a data can appear in the same color, but darker. This means the line displays a substitute, as in this example (TEMP-‐003 is a substitute to ERE0001-‐021).

Some particular cases also exist, in which the font allows to specify the nature of the problem or article in the table:

• Chestnut ! the article has been cancelled (in a provider or customer’s request) • Italic red ! piece without a provider (in a BOM) • Part’s designation in bold ! final product (in a customer’s request) or under a BOM (in a BOM)

• Bold number ! the piece is manually traceable (in a work order or a client or provider’s order)

More guides, more information Note: on Inlynk user website, you will find explanative videos for certain Optymo functions, do not hesitate to use it http://inlynksoft.com/experience optymo/videos and documents/videos1/ There is especially a detailed video on the user interface that will complete the explanations above: http://inlynksoft.com/experience optymo/videos and documents/videos1/196

optymo user interface guide nov 2015 -...

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