TPDb - How it Works

User Interface Concepts

Buttons
Clicking on a button performs the underlying function. In many cases the button has a pop up tag that has more information about the underlying function.

Tabs
Tabs are used to bring up an underlying form that contains similar data to the one that displays the tab. Simply click on the tab to bring up that form.

Drop Down Select boxes
Drop Down select boxes, called select boxes or combo boxes have a button to the right edge of the field with a down arrow on it. Selecting this button brings up user choices for selection. Note: any time you see a drop down box you have the choice of selecting from the drop down list or moving your mouse focus to the field and inputting the data you desire. If the data is found in the list, once you have entered a unique character set the field will be automatically completed for you. Often, you need only to input one character. If you want to cancel the command simply press the ESC key.

Radio Buttons
Radio buttons present a set of choices to the user. Select your choice by clicking on the dot.

Purchase Flow
Purchase orders follow a process or move through a series of states

Open
This is the starting point or the initial state of every purchase order. Every user has access to a purchase in this state. Purchases are assigned an internal accounting number automatically as the user begins to enter information for the new order. Purchases in the open state can be deleted and changed. Items for purchase can be added and removed. The grant declared for the purchase can be changed as well. You are not allowed to change the specified supplier, if there are items specified for purchase on the form. To change the supplier in that event, you must first remove all the items, and then you can change suppliers. When the user is finished with data entry for the purchase he should click Submit. This changes the state to Pending.

Pending
This is essentially the state that purchases are put in for review by the office manager or whoever makes approves purchases for the lab. All the same editing is allowed as in the open state but only for the users states of admin or PI. Therefore the admin or PI can make edits and even move the order back to the open state for correction by the user who created it.

Approved
The Approved state means that the PO has been reviewed by the lab manager or the lab PI and is ready for purchasing. Some labs allow Post Docs and technicians to make the actual purchase, thus they will note that their purchase has been approved and can make the purchase. Once a PO has been moved to the approved state it can no longer be changed or deleted.

Submit for Purchasing
The purchase order is making the next step in the process. You may allow technicians to make their purchases or you may use purchasing agents. In the case of the technician this state would be useful to note that the order has been placed but not confirmed by the supplier. If you use purchase agents, this state would note that it has been sent to the appropriate agent for purchase.

Purchased
Denotes that a purchase request has been purchased from the supplier and you are awaiting shipment.

Received
This state denotes that a purchase has been received and logged in. Purchases moved to the received state are set for archival. No other changes can be made to this purchase.

Void
Move a purchase request to the Void state as a way to stop a purchase after it has reached the Approved state.