Getting oriented in the system
Z czego składa się ekran Opero, czym różni się lista od formularza rekordu, jak działa nawigacja i wyszukiwanie oraz gdzie szukać rzeczy, których nie ma w menu.
The three levels you work on
The whole system, no matter how extensive the instance, comes down to three levels. Once you recognize them, it stops mattering whether you are looking at contracts, tickets, or invoices.
| Level | What you see | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Menu | areas of work | the way into lists and screens |
| List | many records at once | searching, browsing, comparing |
| Form | one record | working on a specific matter |
The path is always the same: from the menu to a list, from the list to a form. Going back works the same way, so when you get lost, return to the list and start again.
The menu organizes, but does not contain everything
The menu is a list of ways into the most frequently used areas, not a map of the whole system. Some things are deliberately absent from it, because they are reached from within a record, not from a separate list.
A typical example: document line items. Do not look for them in the menu, because they live inside the document they belong to.
A missing menu entry does not mean something is not there. Before you conclude that an area is missing, check whether it opens from within another record. And if it truly is missing, it is usually a matter of permissions or the company, not a missing feature.
The list: where you spend the most time
A list is not just an index. It is a tool for searching and narrowing down.
- Columns show selected fields of the records. The administrator chose their set so that a record can be recognized without going inside.
- Filters narrow the view to a selected range. A filter deletes nothing; it only hides the rest.
- Sorting sets the order. It is especially useful with dates and deadlines.
Example. You are looking for a contract whose number you do not remember, but you know it concerns a client from Gdansk and is from this year. Instead of scrolling the whole list, narrow it with a filter by client and date. That is two clicks instead of five minutes of scrolling.
The record form: everything about one matter
The form gathers in one place the data, relations, attachments, comments, and history. That is why the answer to "what is happening with this matter" is on the form, not in someone's mailbox.
It is worth remembering four elements of the form, because they recur on every kind of record.
- Fields with the matter's data.
- Relations to other records, for example a document pinned to a client.
- Attachments and comments, that is, the team's materials and agreements.
- History, that is, who changed what and when.
Some fields may be unavailable for editing. This does not always mean a lack of permissions: the record may be at a stage where the data is no longer changed.
Searching when you do not know where to look
When you are not sure which list something is in, use search instead of browsing through the menu. Three rules that increase your chance of a hit.
- Search by number, if you have it. This is the most reliable way.
- Search by a fragment of the name, not by a whole sentence.
- Remember the company. Search works within the company you are currently in.
Differences in the screen's appearance
This is normal and has three possible causes: a different role, a different company, or a different set of modules enabled in the company. The system shows everyone what they have access to, so two screens of the same instance may differ.
Related
First steps describes the first day of work. Record list describes lists and their capabilities. The record form describes the layout of a single record. Searching and filtering describes narrowing results. Working across companies describes the company context.
First steps in Opero
Co zrobić w pierwszym dniu pracy z systemem: od zaproszenia i logowania, przez sprawdzenie profilu i firmy, po odnalezienie przypisanych zadań i pierwszego rekordu.
Basic concepts
Słownik słów, które wracają w całym systemie i w całej dokumentacji: obiekt, rekord, lista, pole, proces, etap, zadanie, reguła i kilka innych, wyjaśnionych bez żargonu.