WorkBook Releases

Features and Enhancements

This topic includes details about the new or changed features and enhancements in WorkBook Release 13.2.

Agents

Whereabout Entries – Notifications – Agent Setup

If you run the Notification: Missing Time Tracking agent (go to Settings > Advanced Tools > Agent Setup), it automatically triggers a system-generated notification reminder that is sent to inboxes. This notification provides a list of missing whereabout entries according to users' timesheet records.

ConceptShare

ConceptShare Integration

The ConceptShare API has been updated to the latest version as of WorkBook Release 13.2.

English-North American Language Translation Functionality

English-North American Language Translation Functionality is Revised

Users who are running a version 13.2 WorkBook system no longer need to explicitly request the English-Custom translation so that they can apply it to their environment. As of this release, the English-Custom translation is loaded on all systems, as well as existing languages and translations. You can apply it just as you do any other translation.

The system default language remains English-North America. Note that you can use System Variable 142 to specify a different system default language if you want to change this.

If you are running a WorkBook version that is older than Release 13.2, you must continue to follow the instructions for requesting and importing custom translations that are provided in the Deltek WorkBook English-Custom Import Guide (previously titled Deltek WorkBook NA English-Custom Import Guide).

A new companion document, Deltek WorkBook English-Custom Language Glossary, is published with Release 13.2.

Finance & Administration

Ability to Edit Existing Whereabout Information Added

The ability to edit existing whereabout information is added. You can click on a cell in the grid to edit the information. The editing restrictions/rules are defined by the selected whereabout type, which you can find/define via Settings » Employee Settings » Employee Settings » Whereabout. The following apply:
  • If time tracking is not required for a whereabout type, you cannot select that whereabout type.
  • If time tracking is required, and time entry is required, you cannot change a whereabout to 0 (zero) hours.
  • If you select a new whereabout type, the end is updated to reflect the selected type time interval:
    • Step 1: Time interval: 1 minute. Start: 12:00. End: 12:07
    • Step 2: New whereabout type selected.
    • Step 3: Time interval: 5 minutes. Start: 12:00. End: 12:05.
Users' ability to edit is as follows:
  • Users can view/edit/add whereabout entries for themselves.
  • Users with Finance access in a given Company can view/edit/add whereabout entries for any employee of that Company.
  • A user who is set up as the manager, traffic manager, or time sheet approver (as per employee basic settings) of a given employee can view/edit/add whereabout for that employee. This requires time entry access in that employee's Company.

Change to How Whereabout is Entered

The ability to enter whereabout information is changed, including the following:
  • When Company Variable 74 (Require Employees to Track Time Using Whereabout) is set to 2 (Required for All Employees):
    • You can no longer enter all-day whereabouts.
    • You can no longer enter whereabouts that span a range of days.
  • When Company Variable 74 is set to 1 (Not Required), you can still enter all-day whereabouts and whereabouts that span a range of days.
You use the Setup a Whereabout Profile dialog box to enter this information, via Finance & Administration > Cost Entry > Whereabout > Add. The entry restrictions/rules are defined by the selected whereabout type, which you can find/define via Settings > Employee Settings > Employee Settings > Whereabout. The following apply:
  • If time tracking is not required for a whereabout type, you cannot select that whereabout type.
  • If time tracking is required, and time entry is required, you cannot enter 0 (zero) hours for a whereabout.
  • If time tracking is required, but time entry is not required, you can enter 0 (zero) hours for a whereabout.
Users' ability to add/edit is as follows:
  • Users can view/edit/add whereabout entries for themselves.
  • Users with Finance access in a given Company can view/edit/add whereabout entries for any employee of that Company.
  • A user who is set up as the manager, traffic manager, or time sheet approver (as per employee basic settings) of a given employee can view/edit/add whereabout for that employee. This requires time entry access in that employee's Company.

Cost Entry – Whereabout – Employee Whereabout List Added

If you are a Finance User with access to the users' Company, and you are their Manager, Traffic Manager, or timesheet approver, you can now add and edit whereabouts on the behalf of other employees.

Creditors – Creditor Invoices – Highlighting of Cells Invalidated by Costing Codes

In creditor invoice sub-grids, cells that have jobs and tasks that contain invalid costing code setups are now highlighted.

Creditors – Creditor Invoices – Update Voucher Number upon Cancellation

When a creditor invoice was cancelled, you could not reuse the voucher number. This affected customers who cancel their vouchers, rather than deleting them. This functionality has been changed so that when you cancel a creditor invoice, text is appended to the original voucher number. For example, if the original voucher number is CRE5005, and you cancel that voucher, the number might be changed to CRE5005_cancelled. This change frees the original voucher number-CRE5005-to be used.

Creditors – Creditor Payment Proposals – Improved Text in Update Payment Dates Dialog

The text in the dialog for updating payment dates now says Set payment date for all lines (Cannot be earlier than today's date). This more accurately reflects the functionality and restrictions of this dialog than the previous text (Insert the minimum date allowed).

Creditors – Creditor Payment Proposals – Payment Line – Past Date Warning

When a payment proposal has been generated, if you try to update its payment date from the toolbar or the grid by selecting a past date, WorkBook displays an information dialog box explaining that you cannot select dates in the past.

Revenue Forecast - Decimals in Tooltips

When you edit forecast months and include decimals, tooltips now accurately display the decimals. The decimals follow your personal settings.

Revenue Forecast – Improved Tooltip

When you enter or update forecast information on a Revenue Forecast (RF) with the manual limitations setting RF and PQ Amount Must Balance or Flexible, but do not Allow to Exceed Total PQ Amount, WorkBook now displays the following more informative tooltip: Total value of price quotes, Total value of forecast, Adjustment required, and Currency code.

The values of Total value of Price Quotes and Adjustment Required are shown in decimal format.

General

Admin Interface for Viewing Running Background Processes

The Background Processes page has been added to the Settings module so that Administrators can view the background processes that are running.

Background Processes Icon Change

The Background Processes icon on the quick menu on the main WorkBook toolbar is changed to the following icon: .

Background Processes – Interface for Running Background Queue Items is Updated

When you trigger a background process, the Background Tasks window on the quick menu now displays an item for each background process. It also shows each item's status: running, failed, completed, or pending.

You can click a background process item to display its Unique ID, Start Date, End Date, and Failed Status.

Background Processes – Number of Running Processes is Displayed

When you run a background process, a number appears in the Background Process icon on the quick menu, indicating the number of background processes that are running. The number disappears after the background process finishes or fails.

Background Processes – Popup Displays Processes in Sorted Order

When you click the Background Processes icon on the quick menu, the Background Tasks popup displays the tasks that are-or have recently been-running in the background. These tasks are displayed in the following order:
  1. Currently running processes.
  2. Failed processes. These might display informational messages or actual error messages.
  3. Awaiting processes.
  4. Finished processes.

Background Processes – Tooltip Appears when You Start a Background Process

When you start a background process, a pop-up appears next to the Background Processes icon on the quick menu on the main WorkBook toolbar. When the background process finishes, another pop-up appears in the same place to indicate that the process has finished.

WorkBook Generates a Background Process in the Front End when You Create an Employee if Appropriate

When you trigger an employee creation from the Resource module, WorkBook generates a background process from the front end.

Additional Notes: When System Variable 694 is set to 3, creating an employee in the Resource module does not trigger a background process. However, if you set System Variable 694 to any value other than 3, WorkBook generates a background process.

Inbox

Conversations – @Mention Highlighting is Added

In the text area of conversations, @mentions are now highlighted; this is the default behavior.

Select My Settings > Notification & Conversation Settings > Use Native Input Field (Advanced) to display @mentions as regular text.

When @mentions are highlighted, you can click on one to remove it.

Conversations – Scrollable Resource Search Pop-Up is Added

When you add a comment to a conversation thread and mention, tag, or book a resource by using @ or @@, a scrollable resource search pop-up is displayed. This pop-up can display a maximum of 15 results.

Jobs

Costs – Summary – Summary Incl. No. of Hours – Change to Actual Cost Price Column

The Actual Cost Price column now excludes the resource cost for Advanced and Basic Users when System Variable 118 is set to 1 or 3. It excludes the resource cost only for Basic Users when it is set to 2 or 4.

Expenditure Overview Cost Prices (3) View – Changes to Expenditures Total Cost, Net Profit, and Contribution Margin Columns

The following changes are made to columns on the Expenditure Overview Cost Prices (3) view:
  • The Expenditures Total Cost, Net Profit, and Contribution Margin columns now exclude the resource cost for Advanced Users when System Variable 118 is set to 1. This is not applicable for Basic Users because they do not have access to the Expenditure Overview Cost Prices (3) view.
  • The Expenditures Total Cost column now excludes the resource cost for Advanced Users when System Variable 118 is set to 3. This is not applicable for Basic Users because they do not have access to the Expenditure Overview Cost Prices (3) view.
  • The Net Profit and Contribution Margin columns are hidden for Advanced Users when System Variable 118 is set to 3. This is not applicable for Basic Users because they do not have access to the Expenditure Overview Cost Prices (3) view.

Jobs List (1) View – Changes to Actual Cost Column

The Actual Cost column now remains visible, but it excludes the resource cost for Advanced Users when System Variable 118 is set to 1 or 3. This is not applicable for Basic Users because they do not have access to the Jobs List (1) view.

Price Quote (PQ) – Improved Performance of Copy from Nothing Method

When you create a PQ on a job that does not have any PQs, and you use the Copy from Nothing method, performance is no longer affected by a slow-running API request.

Price Quote (PQ) – Print Layout – Show VAT / Show Tax Option in Print Layout

Previously, the Show VAT / Show Tax check box in Other Layout Detail Options did not function as intended. You needed to manually select the Enable GST on Price Quote (Show GST Setting on Header) on a client from within Resources to make a Show VAT option appear in Print Layout.

Scheduling – Copy Schedule from another Job – Performance Enhancement

Performance of copying a schedule from another job is improved by an average of 52%. In addition, scalability is improved, and plans with large numbers of tasks have even higher performance improvements.

Tooltip for Job Tag Detail

When you hover over a tagged job reference in a conversation, certain details about the job are shown in a tooltip. This enables you to better understand the relevance and context between the conversation and the job without opening and reviewing the job card.

My Settings

From/To Dates Added to Employee Whereabout List Filter

You can now filter registered whereabout entries on a range of dates on the Whereabout page, using the new From Date and To Date fields.

Scheduling

Additional Filters for Timesheet Status

Filters are added for the Timesheet Status. These include filters for skills, position, manager, and traffic manager.

Calendar and Timeline Calendar View – Submit Bookings for Approval

You can now submit bookings for approval from the calendar and timeline calendar views by right-clicking on the bookings.

Additional Notes: The calendar pages only allow you to send bookings for approval, not to perform actual approvals. Consider using the task resource booking approval page or the task resource page on the task card to perform approvals, instead.

Company Column Added to Task Matrix View

The Company column is added to the Task Matrix. This gives you better visibility of cross-company resourcing.

Settings

Company Variable Added to Require Time Tracking using Whereabout

Company Variable 74 (Require Employees to Track Time using Whereabout) is added. Its valid possible values are:
  • Not Required
  • Required for All Employees

Use this Company Variable to specify whether employees are required to track their time on Whereabout.

Employee Settings – Added Whereabout Page

A Whereabout page that enables you to set up whereabout types is added at Settings » Whereabout. You can do the following on this page:
  • Specify whether the whereabout type is active or inactive.
  • Give the whereabout type a title (name).
  • Select and assign a color to the whereabout type.
  • Specify that the whereabout type is used for time tracking.
  • Specify that time entry is required for the whereabout type.
  • Select the time interval for the whereabout type.
  • Specify the order in which the whereabout type is displayed in drop-down lists.

Required Time Entry is Disabled if Time Tracking is Disabled

The ability to edit existing whereabouts information is added. You can click on a cell in the grid to edit the information. The editing restrictions/rules are defined by the selected whereabout type, which you can find/define via Settings » Employee Settings » Employee Settings » Whereabout. The following apply:
  • If time tracking is not required for a whereabout type, you cannot select that whereabout type.
  • If time tracking is required, and time entry is required, you cannot change a whereabout to 0 (zero) hours.
  • If time tracking is required, but time entry is not required, you can change a whereabout to 0 (zero) hours.
  • If you select a new whereabout type, the end is updated to reflect the selected type time interval:
    • Step 1: Time interval: 1 minute. Start: 12:00. End: 12:07
    • Step 2: New whereabout type selected.
    • Step 3: Time interval: 5 minutes. Start: 12:00. End: 12:05.
Users' ability to edit is as follows:
  • Users can view/edit/add whereabout entries for themselves.
  • Users with Finance access in a given Company can view/edit/add whereabout entries for any employee of that Company.
  • A user who is set up as the manager, traffic manager, or time sheet approver (as per employee basic settings) of a given employee can view/edit/add whereabout for that employee. This requires time entry access in that employee's Company.

Change to How Whereabout is Entered

The ability to enter whereabouts information is changed, including the following:
  • When Company Variable 74 (Require Employees to Track Time Using Whereabout) is set to 2 (Required for All Employees):
    • You can no longer enter all-day whereabouts.
    • You can no longer enter whereabouts that span a range of days.

When Company Variable 74 is set to 1 (Not Required), you can still enter all-day whereabouts and whereabouts that span a range of days.

You use the Setup a Whereabout Profile dialog box to enter this information. The entry restrictions/rules are defined by the selected whereabout type, which you can find/define via Settings > Employee Settings > Employee Settings > Whereabout. The following apply:
  • If time tracking is not required for a whereabout type, you cannot select that whereabout type.
  • If time tracking is required, and time entry is required, you cannot enter 0 (zero) hours for a whereabout.
  • If time tracking is required, but time entry is not required, you can enter 0 (zero) hours for a whereabout.
Users' ability to add/edit is as follows:
  • Users can view/edit/add whereabout entries for themselves.
  • Users with Finance access in a given Company can view/edit/add whereabout entries for any employee of that Company.
  • A user who is set up as the manager, traffic manager, or time sheet approver (as per employee basic settings) of a given employee can view/edit/add whereabout for that employee. This requires time entry access in that employee's Company.

Tasks

Tooltip for Task Tag Detail

When you hover over a tagged task reference in a conversation, certain details about the task are shown in a tooltip. This enables you to better understand the relevance and context between the conversation and the task without opening and reviewing the task card.

Time & Expense

Ability to Edit Existing Whereabouts Information Added

The ability to edit existing whereabouts information is added. You can click on a cell in the grid to edit the information. The editing restrictions/rules are defined by the selected whereabout type, which you can find/define via Settings » Employee Settings » Employee Settings » Whereabout. The following apply:
  • If time tracking is not required for a whereabout type, you cannot select that whereabout type.
  • If time tracking is required, and time entry is required, you cannot change a whereabout to 0 (zero) hours.
  • If time tracking is required, but time entry is not required, you can change a whereabout to 0 (zero) hours.
  • If you select a new whereabout type, the end is updated to reflect the selected type time interval:
    • Step 1: Time interval: 1 minute. Start: 12:00. End: 12:07.
    • Step 2: New whereabout type selected.
    • Step 3: Time interval: 5 minutes. Start: 12:00. End: 12:05.
Users' ability to edit is as follows:
  • Users can view/edit/add whereabout entries for themselves.
  • Users with Finance access in a given Company can view/edit/add whereabout entries for any employee of that Company.
  • A user who is set up as the manager, traffic manager, or time sheet approver (as per employee basic settings) of a given employee can view/edit/add whereabout for that employee. This requires time entry access in that employee's Company.

Absence Entry – Number of Vacation Days Fields Repositioned in Add Absence Entry Dialog Box

The No. of Available Vacation Days at End-Date and No. of Vacation Days fields have been positioned below the date fields in the Add Absence Entry dialog box. The text is no longer cut off by the size of the pop-up dialog box, and you no longer need to resize the pop-up dialog box to see the full text.

Change to How Whereabout is Entered

The ability to enter whereabouts information is changed, including the following:
  • When Company Variable 74 (Require Employees to Track Time Using Whereabout) is set to 2 (Required for All Employees):
    • You can no longer enter all-day whereabouts.
    • You can no longer enter whereabouts that span a range of days.

When Company Variable 74 is set to 1 (Not Required), you can still enter all-day whereabouts and whereabouts that span a range of days.

You use the Setup a Whereabout Profile dialog box to enter this information, via Time & Expense » Whereabout » Add. The entry restrictions/rules are defined by the selected whereabout type, which you can find/define via Settings » Employee Settings » Employee Settings » Whereabout. The following apply:
  • If time tracking is not required for a whereabout type, you cannot select that whereabout type.
  • If time tracking is required, and time entry is required, you cannot enter 0 (zero) hours for a whereabout.
  • If time tracking is required, but time entry is not required, you can enter 0 (zero) hours for a whereabout.
Users' ability to add/edit is as follows:
  • Users can view/edit/add whereabout entries for themselves.
  • Users with Finance access in a given Company can view/edit/add whereabout entries for any employee of that Company.
  • A user who is set up as the manager, traffic manager, or time sheet approver (as per employee basic settings) of a given employee can view/edit/add whereabout for that employee. This requires time entry access in that employee's Company.

Whereabout – New Ability to Add Whereabouts for the Past

You can now add whereabouts for the past.

Whereabout Page Added to Time & Expense

You can now access the Whereabout page under Time & Expense using a new menu option or a new toolbar icon:

Whereabout Page – Employee Whereabouts List Filter – Default Date Range

The default values for the date filter on the Employee Whereabouts List are as follows:

  • From today – 3 days

  • To today + 1 day

User Interface

Change to Font Color in Grids

The font color in grids is changed to be slightly darker.

Inbox – Conversations – Pop-Up Added to Display @mention Details in Text Entry Area

When you are entering a comment in a conversation, and you hover on an @mention in the area where you can enter text, a pop-up displays the full detailed information for that user's initials/name.

Tags Restyled

Tags are redesigned and streamlined so that they look the same everywhere in the UI.

Scheduling - Task Matrix Grid Enhancements

The cell colors and the legend tooltip are updated in the Task Matrix grid.

Scheduling – Time Sheet Status Grid Enhancements

The cell colors and the legend tooltip are updated in the Time Sheet Status grid.