Tips

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Tips Tricks for Enhancing and Interfacing
with AR System Applications

• Joel Sender, ARSlist Moderator

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Agenda

• The AR System Applications
• Typical Enhancements
• Standard Interfaces
• Tips Tricks
• Real-World Examples
• Questions Answers

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AR System Applications

• IT Service Management (ITSM)
• Help Desk
• Change Management
• Asset Management
• Service Level Agreements
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Leads
• Support
• Quality
• Sales Force Automation

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AR System Applications Advantages

• Contains Standard Best Practices
• Rapid Implementation
• Low Development / Customization Cost
• Self-Integrated Suite
• Extensive Documentation
• Technical Support

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AR System Applications Disadvantages

• Best Practices Dont Apply
• Application REALLY Does Not Fit Your Requirements
• Prefer to Build Instead of Buy Applications
• Writing Documentation is FUN!
• Less Need for External Technical Support

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Typical Enhancements

• Add, Modify, or Delete Fields
• Modify Workflow To Fit Your Business Model
• Add Related Applications

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Enhancement Preparation

• Understand The Out-Of-The-Box Functions
• Test The FULL Application
• Analyze, Plan, Review Do It Again
• Document Your Planned Activity
• Use a Separate Development Server
• Develop a FULL Application Test Plan

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Adding Fields

• Avoid Adding Fields to AR Systems Forms
• Create A Separate Form With The New Fields
• Add Buttons to Create or Open Entries In The
  ADDITIONAL Form
• ADDITIONAL Form Is A Child Record, Contains
  Parent Entry_ID
• ADDITIONAL Form Has A Button To Show Parent
  Record
• OK to Add Hidden or Display-Only Fields
• OK to Add Buttons and Menu Items

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Modifying and Deleting Fields

• DONT DO IT!
• Instead of Modifying Add a Field to the
  ADDITIONAL Form
• Instead of Deleting HIDE the Offending Field
• If You MUST Enlarge A Field, Find It Everywhere

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Exception
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Modify Workflow

• For EXPERIENCED AR System Developers Only
• Budget EXTRA Time for Analysis
• Log Files
• ARStruct or ITMasters
• First Understand Existing Workflow
• Budget EXTRA Time to Test Full Application

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Standard Interfaces

• Accessing External Data
• Accessing AR Systems Application Data
• Pushing Data To AR System Applications

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Accessing External Data

• Import ASCII File ARImport Dup ID Handling
• PROCESS in Set Field Action
• Run a 3rd Party Program
• Execute a Custom (C, PERL, etc.) Program
• SQL Query in Set Field Action

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Exchange Data Into HD 4.0

• Extract Data Into Global Address List
• Manipulate the Data (Excel, 1-2-3, Access, etc.)
• Calculations, IF Statements, Formatting
• Save As Comma-Separated Values (.csv)
• Import Into The SHRPeople-Shadow Form
• Importing Records Executes Filters To Add, Modify
  or Delete SHRPeople records

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Import Workflow
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Import Tips

• There MUST be a Unique key Shared Among All
  People Records (i.e. employee ID)
• AR System Login Name MUST be Unique
• Import Into the Shadow Form at Any Time
• Update the Actual Form When Resources Are
  Available
• Confirm the Import Several Times Manually Before
  Automating the Process

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Data Integrity

• All Hidden Fields MUST be Filled-In
• MS/Exchange Usually Does Not Provide
• Support Staff (Y/N)
• Manager (Y/N)
• AR System User (Y/N)
• This Information Can be Entered Manually Before
  or After the Update

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Accessing AR Systems Data

• Paper-Based Form Re-Created in AR System
• Searching SHRPeople from a Custom Application
• Search For Person
• Search For Manager

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People Integration

• Selecting a Find Button Initiates a Search of
  the SHRPeople form
• Created using regular AR System workflow did
  not use dialog boxes
• Reason intended to be used with ARWeb 4.0
  (dialog boxes are NOT supported)

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Pushing Data to Help Desk 4.0

• One or More Help Desk Cases are Created
• Flag Pushed to HelpDesk? Prevents The Creation
  of Duplicate Requests
• Sent to Help Desk Is Date/Time Stamp of the
  Action

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Renting Assets

• Major Entertainment Studio Uses AR Systems Asset
  Management Application
• Assets are Rented to Different Productions (TV
  Shows, Films, On-Lot Companies, etc.)
• Different Purchasing Groups, Different
  Time-Frames
• Solution Custom Rental Application Tightly
  Integrated with AR Systems Asset Management

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Integration Points
Personnel
Rental Module
Asset Management 4.0
Assets
Contract
Components
Items
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Tips Tricks

• Set-up
• Data
• Implementation
• Documentation

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Set-up Tips

• Keep It Simply Simple (KISS)
• Export the Original Application and Secure It
• Issue Unique Accounts For An Audit Trail
• Get the Key People Involved Early Often

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Data Tips

• Ensure Import Data Format Matches the Application
• Export AR System Application Data to Identify the
  Hidden Fields and Their Values
• Go with the AR System Flow
• Make Fields Data-Driven Whenever Possible
• Clean the Data BEFORE Import
• Identify the PRIMARY Data Source Stick To It

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Implementation Tips

• Know the Key Elements In a Form
• Cautiously Modify Key Elements
• Category/Type/Item
• Status
• Region/Site/Department
• Understand Out-of-the-Box Workflow
• Analyze Filter and Macro/Active Link Log Files
• Changes May Need to be Applied to Multiple Forms
• Configuration Forms, Join forms, Dialogs

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More Implementation Tips

• Field ID Numbering Schemes
• Easy to Find
• Objects Can Be Copied between Forms
• Proof Of Authorship
• Field-Level Changes Need to Occur On All Views
• Cautiously Add Permission Groups
• The ADMIN Tab

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Documentation Tips

• Rename Changed Objects With Suffixes
• New Object
• Modified Object
• Disabled Object x
• Actually Use the Change History in AR Objects
• Use Documentation Tools (IT Masters, ARStruct,
  Migrator)
• Name Objects With Execution Order Included

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Questions
Answers

 To join ARSlist, send e-mail to
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arslist or (leave with unsub arslist)
 Joel D. Sender ARSlist Moderator www.ARSLIST.org
www.WWRUG.org JDSender_at_earthlink.net