Making Life Easier for Users and Other Folks too! ACE/NETC/ACT/EVP Session 7 ID #5

1. Making Life Easier for Users and Other Folks too! ACE/NETC/ACT/EVP Session 7 ID #5 Making Life Easier for Users

2. Purchased or Legacy Applications We have complex processing needs. Diminishing resources to get the job done. Plus, we have existing automation either from purchased software or from legacy systems. Problem Solved? Making Life Easier for Users

3. Problem Solved? Well no, but we do have some existing software. We need it, so we live with it. Making Life Easier for Users

4. Is an Existing System a Database? Perhaps not in technical terms, but any existing automation system is a database, of sorts. We are all trying to push the operation, functionality, and responsibility out to the Users. Making Life Easier for Users

5. Decentralization We push the data entry functions out to the Users. We push scheduling and running out to the users. We push the responsibility out to them, too. Making Life Easier for Users

6. Decentralization It is only fair that we push the functionality out to the Users too. Making Life Easier for Users

7. Purchased Database Applications Tend to be Detail Intensive. Designed for Large Technical Support Staffs. Designed for Large Functional Support Staffs. Making Life Easier for Users

8. What can a small staff do? Rewrite Major Applications? Hire and Train More Employees? An Overwhelming Task Making Life Easier for Users

9. Not a Chance! Not in our Environment. Major Purchases and Hiring are out. We all know that we must do more with less. Rewrite Apps, Hire More and Better? Making Life Easier for Users

10. Save some time and effort by using: email Notices and Exception Reports. Simplified Input. Automated Tasks. Web Based Report Repositories. We Can Making Life Easier for Users

11. Users Are Overloaded Our Users are doing more than ever before and are under the same pressure to make do with less resources. Making Life Easier for Users

12. Deliver Just What a User Needs. Deliver Nothing More! Automate some Tasks and email Notices. Offer them Summary Reports (With Details Available). How can we help? Making Life Easier for Users

13. What Will a Manager Use? After over fifty years of automation, what is the one computer application that our managers will use on their own? Making Life Easier for Users

14. What will they use? email is the only one they will consistently use. Making Life Easier for Users

15. If they only use email, then give them email. Bring them to the database via email. So, Go With It! Making Life Easier for Users

16. From: <jlipsey_at edison.uaex.edu> To: <lmeeks_at uaex.edu> Date: 5/12/05 8:40AM Subject: Requisitions Awaiting Your Approval The following requisitions are awaiting your approval: 05/12/2005 Requisition: R0011360 Item: 01 Requested by: Jessica Brown For: Chris Tingle Description: Item #3661 PC Interface Cable for Weatherstations Vendor: Spectrum Technologies Inc QTY: 4 Unit Price: $29.0000 Total: $116.00 Accounting Fund‑Orgn1 R0011360 Charged to: Fund 28027 Soybean Rust Project/Tingle Orgn 7300 Crop, Soil & Environmental Science Amount: $116.00 Please login to Banner WebForms at http://webf.uaex.edu/ and use Form FOAAPP to approve these documents, or login to Self Service at http://banf.uaex.edu and select Approve Documents from the Finance menu. CC: <bknox_at uaex.edu>, <jlipsey_at uaex.edu>, <sbaker_at uaex.edu> Manager, Pending Your Approval Making Life Easier for Users

17. Departmental Time Entry Person From: <sfunder_at edison.uaex.edu> To: <tnolen_at uaex.edu> Date: 5/30/05 7:42AM Subject: Your Departmental Time Entry Is Due 12:00 Noon June 3, 2005. This is just a reminder that these departmental time sheets must be submitted by 12:00 Noon June 3, 2005. 7800 Benjamin F Rodery 7800 Christopher Kyle Colwell 7800 Craig Michael Shelton 7800 Gregory P Hunt 7800 Jacob K Wooley 7800 Jarrod T Hardke 7800 Jeffery Coolidge Masengale 7800 Matthew G Euler 7800 Steve Kent Rodery Please login to Banner WebForms at http://webf.uaex.edu/ or Banner and use Form PH TIME to enter and submit time for your employees. CC: <kgrigsby_at uaex.edu>, <sfunderburg_at uaex.edu> Making Life Easier for Users

18. Requisitions Long Pending This Approver From: <common_at edison.uaex.edu> To: <jlipsey_at uaex.edu> Date: 5/3/05 1:00PM Subject: Requisitions Long Pending Approvals Pending for Approver with Any Over 7 Days (FOBUAPP i.e., waiting this approver) FOBAINP FOBUAPP ACTIVITY ACTIVITY FORAQUS Document DATE DATE USER_ID_APPR R0010508 28‑MAR‑2005 25‑APR‑2005 SPAYNE R0010898 14‑APR‑2005 14‑APR‑2005 SCARTER R0010985 20‑APR‑2005 20‑APR‑2005 KSHROUT R0010992 21‑APR‑2005 21‑APR‑2005 CNORTON R0011036 26‑APR‑2005 26‑APR‑2005 SPAYNE The first date is the Requisition Creation Date (or perhaps Modification Date). The second date indicates pending the current Approver. Making Life Easier for Users

19. Requisitions Long Pending Any Approver Approvals Pending for Approver with Any Over 7 Days (FOBAINP i.e., waiting since created) FOBAINP FOBUAPP ACTIVITY ACTIVITY FORAQUS Document DATE DATE USER_ID_APPR R0010508 28‑MAR‑2005 25‑APR‑2005 SPAYNE R0010898 14‑APR‑2005 14‑APR‑2005 SCARTER R0010985 20‑APR‑2005 20‑APR‑2005 KSHROUT R0010992 21‑APR‑2005 21‑APR‑2005 CNORTON R0011014 22‑APR‑2005 29‑APR‑2005 JYARBROUGH R0011036 26‑APR‑2005 26‑APR‑2005 SPAYNE R0011100 02‑MAY‑2005 02‑MAY‑2005 JYARBROUGH CC: <bknox_at uaex.edu>, <sbaker_at uaex.edu> Making Life Easier for Users

20. To: <jlipsey_at uaex.edu> Date: 5/3/05 5:39AM Subject: Requisitions Pending with Errors From: <common_at edison.uaex.edu> Approvals Pending for Approver with Errors ‑ Unapproved But Out of Period FOBAINP FOBUAPP FORAQUS ACTIVITY ACTIVITY USER_ID Document DATE DATE APPR Queue Level Seq R0010508 28‑MAR‑2005 25‑APR‑2005 SPAYNE 4744 1 4 1 row selected. Approvals Pending for Approver with Errors ‑ Unapproved But Will Not be Sent to Approver FOBAINP FOBUAPP FORAQUS ACTIVITY ACTIVITY USER_ID Document DATE DATE APPR Queue Level Seq R0010790 04‑APR‑2005 04‑APR‑2005 AAMMONS FSAL 1 1 1 row selected. The first date is the Requisition Creation Date (or perhaps Modification Date). The second date indicates pending the current Approver. CC: <bknox_at uaex.edu>, <sbaker_at uaex.edu> These Requisitions Will Wait Forever Making Life Easier for Users

21. Notice of Important Changes Shared Responsibilities bring new needs. From: <common_at edison.uaex.edu> To: <astacy_at uaex.edu> Date: 5/12/05 6:13AM Subject: Fund Changed Notice ASTACY Added 11‑MAY‑2005 Effective 01‑APR‑2005 12:00:00 am Fund 13818 Journey to Wellness Program ASTACY Added 11‑MAY‑2005 Effective 01‑MAY‑2005 12:00:00 am Fund 17154 ADC ‑ Espinoza/8065 ASTACY Added 11‑MAY‑2005 Effective 01‑APR‑2005 12:00:00 am Fund 21721 CSREES/Mold & Carbon Monoxide ASTACY Added 11‑MAY‑2005 Effective 01‑SEP‑2004 12:00:00 am Fund 23449 Genomic Discoveries to Improve Rice ASTACY Added 11‑MAY‑2005 Effective 15‑SEP‑2004 12:00:00 am Fund 23450 The Southern Region Water Quality C ASTACY Added 11‑MAY‑2005 Effective 01‑MAY‑2005 12:00:00 am Fund 28704 Rural Youth Development ASTACY Added 11‑MAY‑2005 Effective 01‑JAN‑2005 12:00:00 am Fund 28708 AR Gardens: The Roots of Our Herita CC: bhinkle_at uaex.edu, bknox_at uaex.edu, kscott_at uaex.edu, sbaker_at uaex.edu Making Life Easier for Users

22. Automated Postings From: <common_at edison.uaex.edu> To: <sbaker_at uaex.edu> Date: 5/11/05 10:16PM Subject: ffpoext ‑ No Records for Fixed Asset Orig. Tag Extract Reports ffpoext.lis is attached This report contains both the report and control report for Process: ffpoext ‑ Fixed Asset Orig. Tag Extract CC: bknox_at uaex.edu From: <common_at edison.uaex.edu> To: <sbaker_at uaex.edu> Date: 5/24/05 10:16PM Subject: ffpoext ‑ CK Records for Fixed Asset Orig. Tag Extract Reports Attached ffpoext.lis is attached This report contains both the report and control report for Process: ffpoext ‑ Fixed Asset Orig. Tag Extract CC: bknox_at uaex.edu Making Life Easier for Users

23. Saves a few minutes each day. From: <common_at edison.uaex.edu> To: <sbaker_at uaex.edu> Date: 5/11/05 10:16PM Subject: ffpoext ‑ No Records for Fixed Asset Orig. Tag Extract Reports ffpoext.lis is attached This report contains both the report and control report for Process: ffpoext ‑ Fixed Asset Orig. Tag Extract CC: bknox_at uaex.edu From: <common_at edison.uaex.edu> To: <sbaker_at uaex.edu> Date: 5/24/05 10:16PM Subject: ffpoext ‑ CK Records for Fixed Asset Orig. Tag Extract Reports Attached ffpoext.lis is attached This report contains both the report and control report for Process: ffpoext ‑ Fixed Asset Orig. Tag Extract CC: bknox_at uaex.edu Making Life Easier for Users

24. Encrypted email Transfers From: <sfunder_at edison.uaex.edu> To: <submissions_at complink.biz> Date: 5/27/05 3:19PM Subject: uaces Flexible Transmission The attachment is the encrypted .csv file from the University of Arkansas, Cooperative Extension Service. Contact: Lynda Lee lslee_at uaex.edu Admin Office Supervisor U of A Cooperative Extension Service Human Resources 501‑671‑2149 or Sherry Funderburg sfunderburg_at uaex.edu Payroll Services Specialist U of A Cooperative Extension Service LRSO ‑ Financial Services 501‑671‑2039 NOTICE: This email may contain confidential or proprietary information and may be legally privileged. It is intended only for the named recipient(s). Any unauthorized review, use, copy, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e‑mail and destroy all copies of the original message. CC: <lslee_at uaex.edu>, <sfunderburg_at uaex.edu> Making Life Easier for Users

25. But, Be Warned: Busy Managers may only read a line or two. So, get to the point quickly. Making Life Easier for Users

26. Simplifying Inputs Accountants+Excel = Practically A Perfect Match Why fight it? Let’s give them Excel. Making Life Easier for Users

27. A Database without Batch Entry? Yes, it’s true! Making Life Easier for Users

28. Our Purchased Financial System Our purchased application database has no batch entry for Journal Vouchers. If there ever was a function that needed to be batched, it is Journal Entries. Making Life Easier for Users

29. Well, it had no Batch Entry. Now, we let the Accountants work in Excel. We FTP the Excel files to our UNIX Server. And, then we Load and Report the Batch. Making Life Easier for Users

30. Turning Difficult into Simple We have 75 County Offices sending monthly Quicken Reports to be loaded into our purchased Application Software. “It will take me at least four hours to piece these files together. Can you help?” All the detail lines have mm/dd/yyyy format dates. Quicken Reports have Tab Delimited fields. Making Life Easier for Users

31. A Task Just Made for AWK UNIX has a Utility Program Made for Tab Delimited “database” Files. Making Life Easier for Users

32. A Task Just Made for AWK AWK, is a cryptic but powerful program that works with, you guessed it, Tab Delimited Files. A FTP plus Two Lines of AWK saves Four Hours a Month of a very busy person’s time. Making Life Easier for Users

33. A Task Just Made for AWK awk '{print FILENAME, $0}' *.txt > combinedD_reports.txt awk '$2 ~ /\/.*\//' combinedD_reports.txt > combinedD.txt I said it was cryptic! Making Life Easier for Users

34. AWK, I said it was Cryptic! You don’t have to be able to read it or to write it. You piece it together with a UNIX “How To Book”. Then you test it interactively until it works. Making Life Easier for Users

35. This Concept Really Works for UNIX Test it (interactively) Command by Command. Save the Commands in a (script) File. Run the Script. Optionally, Schedule the Script to be Run. Making Life Easier for Users

36. 2nd Only to email is the Web Users are familiar with the Web. With a click, we can move from email to Web. Why not put Legacy Reports on a Web Server? Making Life Easier for Users

37. Why Not the Web? Security is a significant concern. But, we know how to handle that. Making Life Easier for Users

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41. E~Print is Just a Web Server OK, it does some fancy stuff related to our application database, but it is still just a Web Server. Rather hidden from us, e~Print uses free, Open Source software as a base combined with some proprietary software. We FTP reports to the server and it offers up the report on a secure Web Page. Making Life Easier for Users

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49. Now, Let’s Talk! Questions? Suggestions? Really, I am always looking for a better way! Making Life Easier for Users

50. Thank You! Bruce Knox bknox_at uaex.edu University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service http://www.uaex.edu/bknox Making Life Easier for Users