Getting Started
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GETTING STARTED: A First Look at pERP
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS MUST-KNOW INFORMATION ABOUT pERP.
THE INFORMATION PRESENTED HERE APPLIES TO ALL pERP APPLICATIONS AND ALL USERS.
- Before you use pERP, you will need a User Account with a User Name and a default password. These will be assigned by your system administrator. Please remember them.
- You will be able to change your password later, but only you will know what it is. If you forget it, the IT department cannot look it up (it's encrypted). All they will be able to do is reset it for you and give you a new one. You and/or your manager will be given the username and password, with directions for how to access pERP for training or for operation.
- INTERNET EXPLORER will work with pERP, mostly. However, you will get better results using Safari or Firefox. If neither of these is on your computer, or you are not sure, please ask your local IT staff for assistance.
- These instructions assume that you are computer literate and know how to use a web browser.
- While working in pERP, you must have your web browser set to accept pop-ups. If you do not how to set this, please consult your manager or system support staff.
How to Access pERP
- Instructions for how to log in to pERP
- Tips for easy access
- What to do when you can't get in
Security
pERP has some security measures that you should be aware of
- User accounts
- Password protection
- Level access protection
- Timeout protection
SECURITY TIP: ALWAYS LOG OUT OF PERP WHEN YOU LEAVE YOUR WORK STATION.
pERP Applications
pERP contains a number of different modules called applications. Each application does a particular job or range of function, but because pERP is Enterprise Resource Planning software, each part links to other parts interdependently.
The central application is the General Ledger. Most of the other applications will report transactions to the GL.
Home Page
The pERP Home Page is a summary of events and actions for your attention. Its basic parts are
- News Link - An application for important news that can be directed to specific users or groups.
- Message box - The message section contains information and warnings relevant to the user on a long-term basis.
- Watch List - Shows open sales orders, current purchase orders, or other items as set in Preferences
These items may or may not be set. The presence or absence of any of them is NOT a bug and does not need to be reported.
Navigating in pERP
pERP is flexible and allows you many ways to move from one place to another.
- Move between applications with the Application Bar
- Move between documents with hyperlinks
- Move between applications or tasks with the side bar
- Start new documents with the Add command
Using the Search Bar
Wherever pERP deals with lists of data, a Search Bar is used to give you convenient ways to access and display the list. The search bar allows you to
- search for a particular item
- page through the data in shorter chunks
- sort the data in various ways
- choose what columns of data are displayed
- filter the data to limit what is displayed
Entering Data
The pERP user is expected to be computer literate and familiar with common features of modern software. Your employer may pay for or provide necessary training. Please contact the HR department.
For convenience, this section gives a list of the common controls used in pERP.
pERP Icons
Throughout pERP, icons (little pictures) are used to represent sections of the system or actions that can be done on a record (client record, purchase order, sales order etc.). You'll get used to them fairly quickly, but here's a guide for handy reference.
Setting Your Preferences
You can set some preferences that apply throughout pERP, and some preferences that apply to each specific module.
The module-specific preferences deal mostly with setting how material from the module is displayed on the home page.
User Reports
Throughout pERP, user reports follow the same format. Depending on how you have set your User Preferences, you can print reports immediately using Open Office, or if you prefer Adobe Reader or MS Word you can schedule a .PDF or .DOC file.
Exporting Files
pERP has the ability to export data in SSV (semicolon separated values) files. These files can then be imported into MS Excel, Open Office, or other spreadsheet software.
FAQ
This Frequently Asked Question list concerns the material in Getting Started with pERP. These are general questions that apply to all parts of pERP. Questions that are specific to a particular application or section will be included in the section documentation.
