Title: User guide
It is safe to say without the constant work from the SuiteCRM Team and Community, I would not have had the drive and commitment to sit down and write this user guide. New functionality and improvements to the core product are constantly added to make SuiteCRM the best Open Source CRM product in the world, and to compete with proprietary CRM vendors such as SugarCRM, Salesforce and Microsoft.
As for The SuiteCRM Community - they provide bug reports, bug fixes and bug testing. The Community is at the heart of any Open Source project and this is no different with SuiteCRM. With each new release the community grows and with it grow the benefits of the Open Source ecosystem.
SuiteCRM is a software fork of the popular Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system SugarCRM, developed and maintained by SalesAgility. It is a free and open source alternative application. It was released on October 21, 2013 as version 7.0. The latest production version at the time of publishing this User Guide is SuiteCRM 7.6.3.
SuiteCRM has been downloaded more than 500,000 times since the original release. It has been adopted by NHS (National Health Service) England’s Code for Health programme which seeks to foster open source in the NHS in England.
The SuiteCRM project has stated that the every line of code released by the project will be open source. SuiteCRM project is intended to be an enterprise-class open source alternative to proprietary products.
A project Roadmap is available that details planned enhancements.
An active public support forum with more than 25,000 members is available for free support and is regularly monitored and updated by the Project team.
A directory of extensions is available where both free and paid-for enhancements are available.
The project maintains SuiteCRM:OnDemand, a Software As A Service facility for users who seek a rapid deployment and maintenance free service.
There will be no licensed software as part of the project managed by SalesAgility. All the code is free. All the code is available for free download. There is no hidden agenda to charge for access to the code. It is and always will be free and open source. There will be no paid-for versions.
SalesAgility is an ISO-accredited open source consultancy focused on Customer Relationship Management (CRM). An early adopter of SugarCRM Community Edition, SalesAgility are the creators and maintainers behind the SugarCRM fork – SuiteCRM.
SalesAgility have delivered more than 300 SuiteCRM and SugarCRM projects, and are known as a world class knowledge and expertise resource for open source CRM. Customers include governments, enterprises and small and medium sized business globally.
SalesAgility has a clear mission statement:
"Our goal is to innovate and provide advanced SuiteCRM and SugarCRM solutions along with the industry’s leading customer service and support.
We believe that open source is in the best interest of our clients and we will continue to build, innovate, evangelise and provide best practice working models for the open source community."
The SuiteCRM User Guide has been written for the end user. This guide covers the SuiteCRM User Journey from end-to-end. We will explore all areas from the basics of logging into the system to creating complex automated workflows and reports.
The SuiteCRM User Guide is split into various chapters. These chapters are ordered so that you progress through you guide as you would logically in day to day CRM use. The chapters contain sub-sections which break down barriers for you, explaining how to optimise the use of the customer relationship management system to effectively manage sales data.
Readers of the SuiteCRM User Guide do not need to have development knowledge or prior knowledge of SuiteCRM. It is advised that you are computer literate, that you are familiar with using your chosen web browser and that SuiteCRM has already been installed and configured.
SuiteCRM allows users to log in using your Username and Password, provided to you by the System Administrator.
Before logging into SuiteCRM, you can select the language you wish to use. There are many default languages for SuiteCRM and there are also additional language packs available for other languages around the world.
Once you have chosen your language and have entered your user credentials, you will be able to click the Login button to access the CRM.
If you forget your CRM password and cannot access your CRM user account, you can use the 'Forgotten Password' feature to re-send your password to the email address associated to your user account. Clicking the 'Forgot Password?' link on the login form will display the forgotten password form.
In this chapter we have demonstrated how to access SuiteCRM using the login form. We have also established how to use the forgotten password functionality to retrieve a users password in the event of the password being lost or forgotten.
In the next chapter we will cover the User Wizard, which allows you to set your preferences when using SuiteCRM.
The User Wizard guides you through the configuration options available to you post login. This allows you to select many formats for data that will display in SuiteCRM, and these are specific to your user.
The first step you will see is a simple welcome page that displays once you have logged in. Click 'Next' on this page to progress to configure your user preferences.
On this screen you are able to provide information about yourself. When you provide this information, other users can view this information such as your Full Name, Email Address and Contact details. Fields marked with a red star(*) are required fields, and as such need to be filled in with valid data before you can progress.
Once you have filled in all information on this page, click 'Next' to progress to the next step in the wizard.
Select the Currency you wish to be displayed for all Currency fields within SuiteCRM. The Currency options are populated from the options added by the System Administrator. If there are Currency options you require but do not see, please contact your System Administrator.
Select the Date Format you wish to be displayed for all Date fields within SuiteCRM. There are many different date format options to select from, all of which are specific to your user. This date format will also apply to Date Time fields.
Select the Time Zone you wish to use within SuiteCRM. This allows you to tailor your use of SuiteCRM specific to where you are located globally. If you are travelling between various countries, you can change the Time Zone at any time in your User Preferences after you Wizard set-up, to allow you to view records in that Time Zone.
Select the Name Format you wish to be displayed for all Name fields within SuiteCRM. This is applicable to the various 'Person' modules within SuiteCRM, and allows you to set your preferred name format dependent on your requirement.
Once you have specified all of your Locale preferences, click 'Next' to progress to the final step/confirmation page of the User Wizard.
The final step of the User Wizard provides you with multiple useful links for learning more and obtaining further support from the SuiteCRM website and dedicated team. There is a 'Back' button if you have made any mistakes you wish to amend in previous steps.
Clicking 'Finish' will complete the User Wizard and will present you with SuiteCRM login form.
There are many configuration options available to users once logged into the system. You can view/modify your preferences by clicking on your name in the top right section of the navigation menu.
Once you have clicked to access your preferences, you will be taken to the 'User Profile' tab which gives an overview of you credentials such as Username, First Name, Last Name, Title etc.
Clicking on the 'Password' tab will navigate you to allow you to change your user account password. To change your password, specify a new password and confirm the new password. It is recommended that passwords are secure. The recommended minimum requirement is one upper case character, one lower case character, one numerical character and a minimum password length of 8 characters.
If you have forgotten your password and cannot login, you can use the forgotten password functionality detailed in the Getting Started section of this User Guide.
You can easily manage the theme you are using to view SuiteCRM by navigating to the Themes Tab. This tab allows you to easily select the desired theme, and also shows a theme preview image (assuming this has also been provided with any third party or additional themes).
The Advanced tab provides you with you preferences that you set during the User Wizard process. This gives you the ability to change any of your user preferences, if there were any mistakes or if you require to amend these at a later date.
You can reset your user preferences to the system default by clicking the 'Reset User Preferences' button on your profile.
Clicking the button will prompt you to ensure you wish to reset your user preferences, with the following message: “Are you sure you want reset all of your user preferences? Warning: This will also log you out of the application.”. you can then click 'OK' or 'Cancel' to action appropriately. If you select 'OK' you will be logged out and will need to re-login to SuiteCRM application.
You can reset your home page to the system default by clicking the 'Reset home page' button on your profile. This will reset both dashlet and dashboard preferences/layouts to the system default.
Clicking the button will prompt you to ensure you wish to reset your home page, with the following message: “Are you sure you want reset your home page?”. you can then click 'OK' or 'Cancel' to action appropriately.
In this chapter, we covered managing a user account. This allows you to manage your information, modify/reset user preferences and more.
In the next chapter, we will cover the Interface. The Interface is an integral part of SuiteCRM. With the knowledge of your Interface, you can progress to learning more about SuiteCRM functionality and processes.
Before we progress to understanding the structure and functionality of SuiteCRM, we will cover the areas of the User Interface so that you are familiar with terminology used when describing navigating SuiteCRM. There are many elements to the User Interface, so we have broken these down into various sections below.
The ability to easily view and navigate to areas of the CRM is key to improved productivity and user adoption. SuiteCRM has a clear UI which has various elements we will cover in this section.
The top navigation menu is the main menu users will use to navigate to modules to create and manage records. The standard layout for the top navigation is a list of 10 modules. The ordering for this menu is determined by the order of the modules in Admin → Display Modules and Subpanels. The top navigation menu has six elements. These are:
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CRM Name – This is the name for the CRM which is specified on installation. This defaults to SuiteCRM.
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Module Menu – This lists or groups the modules, dependent on the user preference. This provides the ability for users to navigate to modules within the CRM.
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Desktop Notification Count – This shows the number of desktop notifications the user has not yet read. These can be managed by the user. For full details on Desktop Notifications, see the Desktop Notifications section within this user guide.
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Quick Create – Quick create allows the quick creation of key module records globally within the CRM.
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Global/Full Text Search – Allows users to search the CRM globally for records/data.
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User menu – This displays the user name for the user currently logged in. There is a drop down menu which gives users access to Employees, their profile, the about page and a link to logout.
To view a module, you can click on the module name. This will take you to the List View of that module. For full details on views, read the Views section of this user guide.
Hovering over a module name will produce a drop down menu. This drop down menu displays the Actions and Recently Viewed records for that module.
You can edit records displayed in the Recently Viewed section of the drop down menu by clicking the pencil icon. This will direct you to the Edit View for that record.
There is also a grouped tab navigation structure for SuiteCRM. Users can set this option in their user preferences. For full details on modifying user preferences, see the Managing User Accounts section of this user guide.
The grouped tab navigation menu gives the user the ability to group modules within a tab such as the Sales Tab.
You can click the 'create' icon in the top navigation menu to access the Quick Create options. This is a list of commonly used modules with the ability to create new records within these modules from any location.
The sidebar is part of the responsive theme and is a user configurable option. The sidebar can be expanded and collapsed by clicking on the button highlighted below.
Actions
This displays the Actions for the module you are currently viewing. For example, if you are viewing the Accounts module, the actions that display are: Create Account, View Accounts, Import Accounts. This provides you with one-click access to module actions.
Recently Viewed
This section displays the last 10 records you have viewed. This leaves a breadcrumbs trail so that previously viewed records can be quickly and easily accessed via the sidebar. There is also the option to click the pencil icon, which will take you directly to the Edit View of the record.
The home page is the first page that is displayed to you post-authentication. The home page has various elements that can be used and configured such as Dashlets, Dashboards and the Sidebar.
Dashlets are user-configurable sections displayed on the home page that give you a quick overview of your records and activity immediately after login. This is particularly useful for sales and support led teams as this reduces the number of clicks required to view/modify data.
Dashlets can be dragged/dropped within the home page. You can add dashlets by clicking the 'Add Dashlets' link on the home page.
Clicking on the 'Add Dashlets' link on the home page will open up the Add Dashlets popup which allows users to select from a multitude of out of the box dashlets.
To add one of the dashlets, simply click on the dashlet link. This will add the dashlet to the user home page. The popup will remain if you add a dashlet, to allow users to add multiple dashlets. Once you have added your required dashlets, you can close the popup.
You can modify dashlets by clicking the pencil icon on the desired dashlet.
Clicking the pencil icon will display a popup. This popup will contain all of the options that are configurable for the dashlet.
Once you have made the required changes in the dashlet configuration popup, you can click 'Save' to apply the changes, or cancel if you wish to revert to the current configuration.
Note: Some dashlets require the home page to be reloaded. For dashlets that require this, you will be notified.
Dashboards are new in SuiteCRM. These are configurable per user and can be added/removed similar to dashlets. To add a dashboard tab, you can click the 'Add Tab' link on the homepage.
Clicking on the 'Add Tab' link on the home page will open up the Add Tab popup which allows users to specify a name for the tab and also how many dashlet columns are required. You can opt for one, two or three columns.
Once you have specified the details for the dashboard tab, you can click 'Save'. You can also click 'Cancel' to undo any changes. Once you have saved your changes, the Dashboard Tab will be added and will display on the tab list on user Homepage. You can then add Dashlets to your new dashboard tab.
If you wish to delete the dashboard tab, you can click the 'x' icon. This will prompt you to confirm the deletion and then subsequently remove the dashboard tab from your profile only. Note: 'Suite Dashboard' is the standard dashboard tab which cannot be removed. You can however configure the dashlets that display on that dashboard tab.
The Activity Stream is an excellent way of keeping track of your colleague’s interactions with SuiteCRM. By default the Activity Stream displays recent updates for the Opportunities, Contacts, Leads and Cases modules. Your organisation’s Facebook and Twitter feeds can also be included in your Activity Steam dashlets if desired and this can be configurable by an Admin user.
You can also comment about an update within the Activity Stream by clicking on the Reply button on the right side of the post.
Your posts can also be deleted from the Activity Stream by clicking on the Delete button.
Your comment will appear under the original post and will also be timestamped.
The Activity Stream is also a useful tool for internal messaging within your organisation, it is possible to send a message that will be broadcast to all users in your network. To do this type your message in the text field and click post.
Your colleagues will see this message and will be able to respond by clicking on the Reply button on the right side of the post.
Their response will appear under your post, again with a timestamp.
Searching is a vital aspect within the CRM as this allows you to quickly define what it is you want to see. Many CRM’s will have large data sets so it is vital to you that you have a way to refine your search. In the following sub-sections we will cover the various searching options available to you.
You can search all records within the CRM using the global search functionality. You can search for records via global search by using the search bar in the main navigation menu.
Once you have entered your search term, you can press the return key or click the magnifying glass/search icon. This will return records that match the search criteria and categorise them by the modules available.
Modules can be added to the global search functionality by the System Administrator.
SuiteCRM has an option to enable or disable a full text global search. The full text global search is powered by Zend Lucene search framework. The search works very similar to the standard global search, but provides the enhanced functionality of searching text in documents and other files, compared to the record-level search provided by the standard global search.
Note: System Administrators can enable/disable the full text search by clicking on the AOD Settings link within the admin panel.
This will display the AOD option to enable/disable the full text search.
The search returns results slightly different to global search. Results are returned in order of score. Records are scored dependent on how well you match the search criteria provided by you – from 0-100%.
Basic search is available on all modules within the CRM. Basic search, as standard, allows users to search on the record name.
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Basic search also allows users to check the 'My Items' check box. Enabling this option will only return records that are assigned to you.
Once a user has searched for a record, the search will be saved. This means that you can navigate to records and other modules within the CRM but the search will not be cleared. If you wish to clear your search, you can click 'Clear' and then click 'Search'. This will clear any saved searches and return to the default result set for that module.
Note: System Administrators can modify which fields are searchable in Basic Search within Studio.
Advanced Search is available on all modules within the CRM. Advanced Search provides you with a more detailed module search functionality. As standard, there are more fields available to you via Advanced Search.
You can add further fields to the Advanced Search section by expanding the 'Layout Options' panel.
You can click the field you wish to display/hide and click the arrows to move these fields between sections. This allows users to display/hide columns to further customise the Advanced Search section.
Advanced Searches may have many fields and specific criteria. For this reason, You can save your advanced search criteria to easily populate this in future.
To load a saved search, you can select the saved search from the 'My Filters' drop down. This will return results that match the criteria specified in the saved search.
Note: System Administrators can modify which fields are searchable in Advanced Search within Studio.
Within the CRM you will be presented with various views. These views are structured to present you with key information through the record management process. There are three main views:
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List View
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Detail View
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Edit View
All of these views have specific purposes and these are described in the sub-sections below.
This is the view that you are presented with when you navigate to your desired module.
The List View compromises of many actions that you can carry out to manage records. These are:
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Search Records – provides you with the ability to perform basic and advanced searches, as covered previously in the Search section of this chapter.
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Sort Records – clicking on the column name will sort the record list by that column either ascending or descending, if sorting is enabled.
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View Records – clicking on any hyperlinked data will take you to the Detail View of the record.
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Edit Records – clicking the pencil icon will navigate you to the Edit View for that record.
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Delete Records – you can select records and then select the delete option to delete records from the module.
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Mass Update Records – you can select records and then select the mass update option to update data on all selected records.
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Merge Records – you can select records and select the merge option. This will begin the merge records processes. You can select a primary record and then can merge the data from the duplicate records into the primary record. Once saved, the duplicate records will be deleted and all data/history merged to the primary record.
This is the view that you are presented with when you view a record.
The Detail View compromises of many actions that you can use to view/manage your data. These are specific to the Detail View of the module that you are viewing. There are standard actions on the Detail View for most modules. These are:
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Edit – allows you to edit the record you are viewing.
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Duplicate – allows you to duplicate the record the are viewing.
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Delete – allows you to delete the record you are viewing. If a record is deleted, you will be redirected to the List View.
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Find Duplicates – allows you to begin the find duplicates process where you can use system functionality to find duplicate records.
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View Change Log – allows you to view changes to audited fields.
Note: To set fields as audited and for any changes to find duplicates, contact your System Administrator.
Hyperlinked fields can be clicked on. This will navigate you to that record.
The Detail View is tabbed in SuiteCRM. This means there is minimal scrolling and data is categorised for each module in the appropriate tab.
Note: System Administrators can select to display data in either tabs or panels. You can contact your system administrator for more information on managing layouts and views.
This is the view that you are presented with when you edit a record.
The Edit View allows you to modify record information that is displayed on the view. This allows users to update existing data and also add/remove data. Once you have made changes on the Edit View, you can click 'Save' to apply to changes or click 'Cancel'. Clicking either options will redirect you to the Detail View of the record you are editing. You can click the 'View Change Log' button. This allows users to view changes to audited fields which can be useful before making your intended changes.
We have covered the several views that you are presented with so we will now move onto record management. In this section we will cover all areas of record management so that you can efficiently store and manage customer data.
You can create records within modules from various different areas of your Interface. Detailed below are screen shots of record creation points.
Once you click the create button, you will be taken to the creation screen. This is essentially the Edit View that we have covered previously in the User Interface section. This allows you to fill in the appropriate data for that record. Fields with the red star(*) are required fields. Validation is performed so that a record cannot be saved within the CRM unless data is valid for required fields.
Once you have populated all data for the record, you can save the record which will create the record within the module in the CRM. Once saved, you will be redirected to the Detail View of the record you have created.
You can edit records within modules from various different areas of your Interface. Detailed below are screen shots of record editing points.
Once you click the edit button(or pencil), you will be taken to the Edit View. This allows you to edit/populate the appropriate data for that record. Fields with the red star(*) are required fields. Validation is performed so that a record cannot be saved within the CRM unless data is valid for required fields.
Once you have edited/populated the record data, you can save the record which will update the existing record with the new data populated when editing. Once saved, you will be redirected to the Detail View of the record you have edited.
You can delete records within modules from both the List View and Detail View. Detailed below are screen shots of record editing points:
Detail View Deletion method
Deleting records from the Detail View is a simple process. You simply have to click the 'Delete' button.
When you click the delete button on a record, you will receive a popup which will ask you to confirm that you want to delete the record.
You can either click Cancel or OK. Clicking Cancel will revert you back to the Detail View of the record and will not delete it. Clicking OK will action the record deletion. If you choose to delete the record, the record will be deleted and you will be redirected to the module List View.
List View Deletion method
To delete records from the List View, you can select records using the checkbox option on the left hand side of the view. It is possible to select single records or use the 'Select this Page' or 'Select All' options, to select all records from the page or all records within the module.
Once the records are selected to delete, you can click the 'Delete' button. When you click the delete button on a record, you will receive a popup which will display the number of records being deleted and ask you to confirm that you want to delete the record.
You can either click Cancel or OK. Clicking Cancel will revert you back to the Detail View of the record and will not delete it. Clicking OK will action the record deletion. If you choose to delete the record, the record will be deleted and you will be redirected to the module List View.
You can mass update records from the List View of any module, given this option is made available to you. To mass update records, you have to check the records in the List View and then select the 'Mass Update' option from the dropdown menu (next to the delete link).
Clicking the mass update option will display a screen at the bottom of the List View. This will list all fields that can be mass updated by you.
Once you have populated the fields you wish to mass update, you can either click 'Update' or 'Cancel'. Cancelling the mass update will cancel any changes and redirect you to the List View of the module. Clicking update will update all selected records with the changes specified in the Mass Updating Records section.
You can merge records from the List View of any module, given this option is made available to you, or via the Detail View if you follow the 'Find Duplicates' process.
To merge records, you have to check the records in the List View and then select the 'Merge' option from the dropdown menu (next to the delete link).
Once you have clicked on the 'Merge' option, you will be presented with a merge screen. This will show the primary record and the duplicates that you wish to merge with that primary record.
You can select which record is primary using the 'Set as primary' button on the right of the merge view. You can move data from the duplicate records to the primary record using the '<<' buttons. In this example, we have moved the First Name and Last Name from the duplicate record to the primary record.
Once you have made the required changes on the merge screen, you can click 'Save Merge' or 'Cancel'. Clicking cancel will discard the merge changes and will revert you to the List View for that module. Clicking 'Save Merge' will continue the Merge process and will prompt you to inform you that the duplicate record will be deleted.
You can click 'OK' or 'Cancel'. Clicking Cancel will discard the merge changes and will revert you to the List View for that module. Clicking 'OK' will save the merge and will redirect you to the Detail View for the merged record.
As can be seen from the example, the merge has completed successfully. The First Name and Last Name have been updated, and all other data has been retained.
It is possible to import data easily by using SuiteCRM’s easy-to-use User Import Wizard. There are many hints and tips as you progress through the Import Wizard on the requirements of importing data and for further steps in the Wizard.
User Import Wizard features
There are many features of the Import Wizard which make it easier for you to map data to CRM fields and also for future imports. These are:
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Sample .csv file for easier import of data — Use the available sample .csv file as a template for import of files
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Retain settings from previous imports — Save/preserve import file properties, mappings, and duplicate check indexes from previous imports for ease of current data import process
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Ability to accept both database name and display labels of drop-down and multi-select field items — Field labels as well as database names are accepted and mapped during import, but only the field labels are displayed for ease of use
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Ability to accept both usernames and full names in user fields during import and export of data — Full names of Users displayed for Assigned To and other User-related fields in exported .csv file for easier identification of user records
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Ability to auto-detect file properties in import file — Upload import files without specifying file properties such as tab, comma, double and single quotes, date and time formats, making the process simpler and faster
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Ability to import contacts from external sources such as Google — Ability to import Google Contacts for person-type modules such as Contacts, Leads, and Targets, relate SuiteCRM records to Google Contacts, and communicate with Google Contacts from within SuiteCRM
Steps to Import data
Note: Always import the Account data first and then import Contacts and other data related to Accounts (such as Meetings, Calls, Notes) to automatically create a relationship between the imported Account and Contacts and activity records related to the Account.
Follow the steps listed below to import data for a module, such as Accounts:
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Select Import from the Actions drop-down list in the module menu options.
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This displays Step 1 of the import process with a link to a sample Import File Template.
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Upload your import file to this page using the Browse button in the Select File field or,
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Optionally, download the available template, delete the existing data, input your data and upload to this page using the Browse button.
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Click Next.
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This displays Step 2 (Confirm Import File Properties).
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Auto-detection of imported data takes place at this step.
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Click View Import File Properties button to verify and change the data as needed, if you notice irregularities in the Confirm Import File Properties table.
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Click the Hide Import File Properties to collapse the panel.
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Click Next.
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This displays Step 3: Confirm Field Mappings.
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The table in this page displays all the fields in the module that can be mapped to the data in the import file. If the file contains a header row, the columns in the file map to matching fields.
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Check for correct mapping and modify if necessary.
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Map to all of the required fields (indicated by an asterisk).
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Click Next.
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This displays Step 4: Check for Possible Duplicates.
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Follow the instructions on this page.
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Step 4 also provides the option of saving the current import file properties, mappings, and duplicate check indexes for future imports.
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(Optionally) Save the import settings.
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Click Import Now.
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Click the Errors tab to check for errors in the process. Follow the instructions to fix problems (if any) and Click Import Again.
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This displays Step 1 of the import process.
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Follow all the steps in the wizard through Step 5.
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If the import was successful, you can to view all the imported records at Step 5.
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Click Undo Import if you are not satisfied with the imported records,
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Or, click Import Again to import more data
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Or, click Exit to navigate to the List View page of the module that you imported your records into.
You can export SuiteCRM records in .csv format. When you exports records from the CRM, you will be provided with the .csv file to download when the export has finished executing. You can save and open this file in applications such as Libre Office Calc or Microsoft Office Excel.
The .csv file displays in a tabular format with columns and rows. When data is exported from the CRM, the record ID is included with all other fields that are specified in the export list for that module. You can then use the record ID as a reference for performing a 'Create new records and update existing records' import, as detailed in the Importing Records section of the user guide.
Note: When exporting values from drop-down lists, SuiteCRM exports the ID associated with each option and not the display labels. For example, if a drop down list has options labelled High, Medium and Low with an ID of 1, 2 and 3 – the .csv file will show the drop down options as 1, 2 or 3.
Steps to Export Records
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Select the records from the List View on the module’s home page.
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Select Export from the Actions drop-down menu in the List View.
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To export all records listed on the page, click Select located above the item list and select one of the following options:
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This Page. To export all the records listed on the page, select this option.
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All Records. To export all records on the list (if it is more than a page long), select this option.
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This displays an Opening.csv dialog box.
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Select Open to open the export file in .csv format or select Save to Disk to save the .csv file to your local machine.
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Click OK to execute the operation. If you chose to open the file, the csv file opens in Microsoft Excel.
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The file contains all the fields in the module from which you are exporting the data.
In-line editing gives you the ability to change values “on the fly”. In-line editing has been implemented on both List View and Detail View, providing an advantage to users wishing to change field values quickly, reducing the number of clicks/processes that would normally be taken to edit the full record.
Note: In-line editing can be enabled/disabled for both List View and Detail View. This can be done in the main System Settings for the CRM, by the System Administrator.
You can edit record information on the List View of a module using in-line editing by clicking on a field where the pencil icon is shown.
You can either click on the pencil icon, or double click on the field to edit the value.
Once you have made the required change to the field value, you can either press Return or click on the 'tick'. This will save your changes. If you navigate away without making any changes, you will see a prompt warning you that you have made unsaved changes to the field being edited.
You can either click cancel and continue editing and saving your change, or you can click OK which will discard the changes made.
Similar to List View, you can edit record information on the Detail View of a module using in-line editing by clicking on a field where the pencil icon is shown.
You can either click on the pencil icon, or double click on the field to edit the value.
Once you have made the required change to the field value, you can either press Return or click on the 'tick'. This will save user changes. If you navigate away without making any changes, you will see a prompt warning you that you have made unsaved changes to the field being edited.
You can either click cancel and continue editing and saving your change, or you can click OK which will discard the changes made.
You can enable desktop notifications by accessing the 'Advanced' tab within your user preferences. This will enable desktop notifications only for that browser on that computer. you can choose to enable the desktop notifications just for that browser session, or to always enable desktop notifications.
Note: Users will have to enable desktop notifications on all browsers and computers if you use more than one.
Once desktop notifications have been enabled, users will receive notifications for any Calendar events such as:
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Meetings – Meetings you have been invited to that have popup reminders set.
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Calls – Calls you have been invited to that have popup reminders set.
If you have no notifications, the notification count will show '0' to tell you you currently have no notifications to check.
If you do not click on a desktop notification when it is displayed in the browser, for example you are AFK(Away From Keyboard) your notifications will be added to the notification list which shows as a count on the main navigation bar.
You can manage your desktop notifications by clicking the icon which will show any existing notifications.
You can either click the notification which will take you to the record the notification is related to or you can click the small 'x' icon to clear you immediately.
In this chapter, we covered all elements of the SuiteCRM user interface. There are many elements which you can use to optimise your navigation and data management, to increase productivity.
In the next chapter, we will look at modules. Modules are the data entities within SuiteCRM which can be standalone, or related to one or many other modules. Each module has a different function but many modules work together to structure and automate day to day business processes.
The Accounts module is the centralised base from which you can create an association with most records in SuiteCRM. It is possible to create a relationship with Contacts, Converted Leads, Opportunities, any Activity such as Emails or Meetings and Cases. Accounts in SuiteCRM will typically hold all information specific to a company that your organisation will have a relationship with. In real world terms an Account may be a business entity that is a qualified Sales Prospect, Customer, Supplier or Re-seller and can be used to track all interactions that take place between these entities and your organisation.
You can access the accounts actions from the Accounts module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Accounts actions are as follows:
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Create Account – Once clicked, a new form is opened in Edit View to allow you to create a new Account record.
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View Accounts – Once clicked, you will be redirected to the List View for the Accounts module. This allows you to search and list Accounts records.
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Import Accounts – Redirects you to the Import Wizard for the Accounts module. For more information, see Importing Records.
To view the full list of fields available when creating an Account, See Accounts Field List.
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To sort records on the Accounts List View, click any column title which is sortable. This will sort the column either ascending or descending.
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To search for a Account, see the Search section of this user guide.
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To update some or all the Accounts on the List View, use the Mass Update panel as described in the Mass Updating Records section of this user guide.
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To duplicate a Account, you can click the Duplicate button on the Detail View and then save the duplicate record.
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To merge duplicate Accounts, select the records from the Accounts List View, click the Merge link in the Actions drop-down list, and progress through the merge process. For more information on Merging Duplicates, see the Merging Records section of this user guide.
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To delete one or multiple Accounts, you can select multiple records from the List View and click delete. you can also delete a Account from the Detail View by clicking the Delete button. For a more detailed guide on deleting records, see the Deleting Records section of this user guide.
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To view the details of a Account, click the Account Name in the List View. This will open the record in Detail View.
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To edit the Account details, click Edit icon within the List View or click the edit button on the Detail View, make the necessary changes, and click Save.
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For a detailed guide on importing and exporting Accounts, see the Importing Records and Exporting Records sections of this user guide.
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To track all changes to audited fields, in the Account record, you can click the View Change Log button on the Account’s Detail View or Edit View.
In SuiteCRM a Contact is an individual who is typically associated with an Account (organisation) or Opportunity (qualified prospect). For example if Techco is the Account, then John Smith, Sales Manager of Techco is the Contact. This module holds all information relating to these individuals and also provides a vantage point for any history relating to a Contact record, for example if they were involved in a Meeting, raised a Case or sent an Email.
You can access the Contacts actions from the Contacts module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Contacts actions are as follows:
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Create Contact – A new form is opened in Edit View to allow you to create a new Contact record.
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View Contacts – Redirects you to the List View for the Contacts module. This allows you to search and list Contact records.
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Import Contacts – Redirects you to the Import Wizard for the Contacts module. For more information, see Importing Records.
To view the full list of fields available when creating an Contact, See Contacts Field List.
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To sort records on the Contacts List View, click any column title which is sortable. This will sort the column either ascending or descending.
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To search for a Contact, see the Search section of this user guide.
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To update some or all the Contacts on the List View, use the Mass Update panel as described in the Mass Updating Records section of this user guide.
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To duplicate a Contact, you can click the Duplicate button on the Detail View and then save the duplicate record.
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To merge duplicate Contacts, select the records from the Contacts List View, click the Merge link in the Actions drop-down list, and progress through the merge process. For more information on Merging Duplicates, see the Merging Records section of this user guide.
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To delete one or multiple Contacts, you can select multiple records from the List View and click delete. You can also delete a Contact from the Detail View by clicking the Delete button. For a more detailed guide on deleting records, see the Deleting Records section of this user guide.
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To view the details of a Contact, click the Contact Name in the List View. This will open the record in Detail View.
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To edit the Contact details, click Edit icon within the List View or click the edit button on the Detail View, make the necessary changes, and click Save.
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For a detailed guide on importing and exporting Contacts, see the Importing Records and Exporting Records sections of this user guide.
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To track all changes to audited fields, in the Contact record, you can click the View Change Log button on the Contact’s Detail View or Edit View.
An Opportunity is a qualified Sales prospect with a likely chance that they will be able to do business with your company. You have established that they have buying power and have entered into the buying cycle. This module allows you to track your Opportunities throughout the Sales Pipeline until the deal is 'Closed Lost or 'Closed Won'.
You can access the Opportunities actions from the Opportunities module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Opportunities actions are as follows:
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Create Opportunity – A new form is opened in Edit View to allow you to create a new Account record.
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View Opportunities – Redirects you to the List View for the Opportunities module. This allows you to search and list Opportunity records.
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Import Opportunities – Redirects you to the Import Wizard for the Opportunities module. For more information, see Importing Records.
To view the full list of fields available when creating an Opportunity, See Opportunities Field List.
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To sort records on the Opportunities List View, click any column title which is sortable. This will sort the column either ascending or descending.
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To search for a Opportunity, see the Search section of this user guide.
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To update some or all the Opportunities on the List View, use the Mass Update panel as described in the Mass Updating Records section of this user guide.
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To duplicate a Opportunity, you can click the Duplicate button on the Detail View and then save the duplicate record.
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To merge duplicate Opportunities, select the records from the Opportunities List View, click the Merge link in the Actions drop-down list, and progress through the merge process. For more information on Merging Duplicates, see the Merging Records section of this user guide.
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To delete one or multiple Opportunities, you can select multiple records from the List View and click delete. You can also delete a Opportunity from the Detail View by clicking the delete button. For a more detailed guide on deleting records, see the Deleting Records section of this user guide.
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To view the details of a Opportunity, click the Opportunity Name in the List View. This will open the record in Detail View.
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To edit the Opportunity details, click the Edit icon within the List View or click the edit button on the Detail View, make the necessary changes, and click Save.
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For a detailed guide on importing and exporting Opportunities, see the Importing Records and Exporting Records sections of this user guide.
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To track all changes to audited fields, in the Opportunity record, you can click the View Change Log button on the Opportunities Detail View or Edit View.
In SuiteCRM a Lead is an unqualified contact usually generated from some form of marketing related event, for example it could be a person that has filled out a form on your website or someone that you met at a trade show and you are not sure yet if they have buying authority. Once a Lead is qualified and converted then it can be split into three parts; a Contact once you have established 'Who' it is, an Account when you know 'Where' they work and an Opportunity once it is known 'What' they might buy.
You can access the Leads actions from the Leads module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Leads actions are as follows:
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Create Lead – A new form is opened in Edit View to allow you to create a new Account record.
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View Leads – Redirects you to the List View for the Leads module. This allows you to search and list Lead records.
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Import Leads – Redirects you to the Import Wizard for the Leads module. For more information, see Importing Records.
To view the full list of fields available when creating a Lead, See Leads Field List.
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To sort records on the Leads List View, click any column title which is sortable. This will sort the column either ascending or descending.
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To search for a Leads, see the Search section of this user guide.
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To update some or all the Leads on the List View, use the Mass Update panel as described in the Mass Updating Records section of this user guide.
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To duplicate a Lead, you can click the Duplicate button on the Detail View and then save the duplicate record.
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To merge duplicate Leads, select the records from the Leads List View, click the Merge link in the Actions drop-down list, and progress through the merge process. For more information on Merging Duplicates, see the Merging Records section of this user guide.
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To delete one or multiple Leads, you can select multiple records from the List View and click delete. you can also delete a Lead from the Detail View by clicking the Delete button. For a more detailed guide on deleting records, see the Deleting Records section of this user guide.
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To view the details of a Lead, click the Lead Name in the List View. This will open the record in Detail View.
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To edit the Lead details, click Edit icon within the List View or click the edit button on the Detail View, make the necessary changes, and click Save.
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For a detailed guide on importing and exporting Leads, see the Importing Records and Exporting Records sections of this user guide.
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To track all changes to audited fields, in the Lead record, you can click the View Change Log button on the Lead Detail View or Edit View.
Once enough information is gathered about a Lead, then the Lead can be progressed to the next Sales stage and the Lead can be converted into a Contact, Account and Opportunity. The way in which a Lead is converted depends on how the System Administrator has set up SuiteCRM. To convert a Lead with the default SuiteCRM setup you have to click on an individual Lead record to access the Detail View of the Lead and click on the arrow next to the Other button, then click on 'Convert Lead' from the drop-down menu shown in the image below:
Once you have clicked on 'Convert Lead' button then you will be taken to the Convert Lead page.
On this page you will be able to Create or Select Contact:
By deselecting the checkbox next to 'Create Contact' you will be able to associate the Lead to an existing Contact. However, in most cases when converting a Lead there will be no existing Contact. Make sure the Create Contact checkbox is selected. Some of the fields will automatically be populated using the Lead information. Fill out the remaining relevant fields and move to the next Stage below:
To create an Account from a converted Lead you will follow the same process as with a Contact, some information will populate from the Lead automatically, just complete the rest.
To create an Opportunity from a converted Lead you will follow the same process as with a Contact, some information will populate from the Lead automatically, just complete the rest.
Other records can be created when converting a Lead in the same way as Contacts/Accounts and Opportunities.
After you have completed the relevant sections click the Save button to confirm the changes.
When converting a Lead SuiteCRM will automatically check for any duplicate records and will return a warning if a matching record is found.
If you find that the duplicate warning is not valid and you still wish to create a new record, then click the Create button. Otherwise if you decide that the warning is correct and the record does already exist in the CRM then you should click on the Select button.
The Calendar module in SuiteCRM allows you to manage your time by scheduling Meetings, Calls and Tasks. Users may share their Calendar so they can allow others to view their upcoming activities. These activities will be displayed in the Calendar module given that the User concerned is a participant or the task has been assigned to them.
You can access the Calendar actions from the Calendar module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Calendar actions are as follows:
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Schedule Meetings – A new form is opened in the Edit View of the Meetings module to allow you to create a new Meeting record. This record will display on the Calendar.
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Schedule Calls – A new form is opened in the Edit View of the Call module to allow you to create a new Call record. This record will display on the Calendar.
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Create Task – A new form is opened in the Edit View of the Tasks module to allow you to create a new Task record. This record will display on the Calendar.
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Today – Redirects you to the Day format of the Calendar for the current day.
The Calls module in SuiteCRM allows Users to schedule and log a record of inbound and outbound calls that they may be a participant of.
You can access the Calls actions from the Calls module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Calls actions are as follows:
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Log Call – A new form is opened in Edit View to allow you to create a new Call record.
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View Calls – Redirects you to the List View for the Calls module. This allows you to search and list Call records.
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Import Calls – Redirects you to the Import Wizard for the Calls module. For more information, see Importing Records.
To view the full list of fields available when logging a Call, See Calls Field List.
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To sort records on the Calls List View, click any column title which is sortable. This will sort the column either ascending or descending.
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To search for a Call, see the Search section of this user guide.
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To update some or all of the Calls on the List View, use the Mass Update panel as described in the Mass Updating Records section of this user guide.
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To duplicate a Call, you can click the Duplicate button on the Detail View and then save the duplicate record.
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To close a Call, click on the 'x' icon on the Calls List View. You can also close a Call by clicking the Close button on the Detail View of a Call. You can also click the Close and Create New button. This will close the Call you are viewing and redirect you to the Edit View to create a new record.
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To Reschedule a call, you can click the Reschedule button on the Detail View of a Call. For a detailed guide on rescheduling calls, see the Reschedule section of this user guide.
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To delete one or multiple Calls, you can select multiple records from the List View and click delete. You can also delete a Call from the Detail View by clicking the Delete button. For a more detailed guide on deleting records, see the Deleting Records section of this user guide.
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To view the details of a Call, click the Call Subject in the List View. This will open the record in Detail View.
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To edit the Call details, click Edit icon within the List View or click the edit button on the Detail View, make the necessary changes, and click Save.
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For a detailed guide on importing and exporting Calls, see the Importing Records and Exporting Records sections of this user guide.
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To track all changes to audited fields, in the Call record, you can click the View Change Log button on the Call Detail View or Edit View.
Like the Calls module, the Meetings module in SuiteCRM allows Users to create a record of any Meeting that they have been involved in. The Meeting scheduler allows a User to invite attendees, email invitees, set reminders, reschedule and relate to other modules including an Account, Contact, Project and many other Objects. This module has many more helpful functions that assist the User to plan and organise their Meetings.
You can access the Meetings actions from the Meetings module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Meetings actions are as follows:
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Schedule Meeting – A new form is opened in Edit View to allow you to create a new Meeting record.
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View Meetings – Redirects you to the List View for the Meetings module. This allows you to search and list Meeting records.
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Import Meetings – Redirects you to the Import Wizard for the Meetings module. For more information, see Importing Records.
To view the full list of fields available when creating scheduling a Meeting, See Meetings Field List.
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To sort records on the Meetings List View, click any column title which is sortable. This will sort the column either ascending or descending.
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To search for a Meeting, see the Search section of this user guide.
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To update some or all of the Meetings on the List View, use the Mass Update panel as described in the Mass Updating Records section of this user guide.
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To duplicate a Meeting, you can click the Duplicate button on the Detail View and then save the duplicate record.
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To close a Meeting, click on the 'x' icon on the Meetings List View. You can also close a Meeting by clicking the Close button on the Detail View of a Meeting. You can also click the Close and Create New button. This will close the Meeting you are viewing and redirect you to the Edit View to create a new record.
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To Reschedule a Meeting, you can click the Reschedule button on the Detail View of a Meeting. For a detailed guide on rescheduling Meetings, see the Reschedule section of this user guide.
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To delete one or multiple Meetings, you can select multiple records from the List View and click delete. You can also delete a Meeting from the Detail View by clicking the Delete button. For a more detailed guide on deleting records, see the Deleting Records section of this user guide.
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To view the details of a Meeting, click the Meeting Subject in the List View. This will open the record in Detail View.
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To edit the Meeting details, click the Edit icon within the List View or click the edit button on the Detail View, make the necessary changes, and click Save.
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For a detailed guide on importing and exporting Meeting, see the Import and Export Importing Records and Exporting Records sections of this user guide.
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To track all changes to audited fields, in the Meeting record, you can click the View Change Log button on the Meeting’s Detail View or Edit View.
The Emails module in SuiteCRM allows Users to view, store, compose, send and receive email from their own personal Email account or a shared inbox, for example a Support or Sales inbox. Emails can be related to Accounts, Cases, Contacts and many more records in the CRM.
You can access the Emails actions from the Emails module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Emails actions are as follows:
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View My Email – Redirects you to your mailbox so that you can view and manage emails displayed/imported to the CRM.
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Create Email Template - A WYSIWYG editor where you can create Emails by dragging and dropping components, inserting variables and amending the plain text.
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View Email Templates - Takes you to the List View page of your existing Email Templates. This allows you to search and list Email Template records.
To view the full list of fields available for the Emails module, See Emails Field List.
SuiteCRM can assist Users with productivity, offering a way to record, relate and assign Tasks and to-do items that require action.
You can access the Tasks actions from the Tasks module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Tasks actions are as follows:
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Create Task – A new form is opened in Edit View to allow you to create a new Task record.
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View Tasks – Redirects you to the List View for the Tasks module. This allows you to search and list Task records.
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Import Tasks – Redirects you to the Import Wizard for the Tasks module. For more information, see Importing Records.
To view the full list of fields available when creating a Task, See Tasks Field List.
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To sort records on the Tasks List View, click any column title which is sortable. This will sort the column either ascending or descending.
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To search for a Task, see the Search section of this user guide.
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To update some or all of the Task on the List View, use the Mass Update panel as described in the Mass Updating Records section of this user guide.
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To duplicate a Task, you can click the Duplicate button on the Detail View and then save the duplicate record.
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To close a Task, click on the 'x' icon on the Tasks List View. You can also close a Meeting by clicking the Close button on the Detail View of a Task. You can also click the Close and Create New button. This will close the Task you are viewing and redirect you to the Edit View to create a new record.
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To delete one or multiple Tasks, you can select multiple records from the List View and click delete. You can also delete a Task from the Detail View by clicking the Delete button. For a more detailed guide on deleting records, see the Deleting Records section of this user guide.
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To view the details of a Task, click the Meeting Subject in the List View. This will open the record in Detail View.
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To edit the Task details, click Edit icon within the List View or click the edit button on the Detail View, make the necessary changes, and click Save.
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For a detailed guide on importing and exporting Tasks, see the Importing Records and Exporting Records sections of this user guide.
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To track all changes to audited fields, in the Task record, you can click the View Change Log button on the Task’s Detail View or Edit View.
The Notes module in SuiteCRM can be used to keep a record of any comments, observations or explanations that a User may have relating internally to their organisation or relating to another SuiteCRM record such as an Account, Contact, Lead or many more. Notes are also used to keep record of interactions with Customers regarding Cases and Bugs.
You can access the Notes actions from the Notes module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Notes actions are as follows:
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Create Note or Attachment – A new form is opened in Edit View to allow you to create a new Note record (with attachment).
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View Notes – Redirects you to the List View for the Notes module. This allows you to search and list Note records.
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Import Notes – Redirects you will be taken to the Import Wizard for the Notes module. For more information, see Importing Records.
To view the full list of fields available when creating a Note, See Notes Field List.
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To sort records on the Notes List View, click any column title which is sortable. This will sort the column either ascending or descending.
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To search for a Note, see the Search section of this user guide.
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To update some or all the Notes on the List View, use the Mass Update panel as described in the Mass Updating Records section of this user guide.
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To duplicate a Note, you can click the Duplicate button on the Detail View and then save the duplicate record.
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To delete one or multiple Notes, you can select multiple records from the List View and click delete. You can also delete a Note from the Detail View by clicking the Delete button. For a more detailed guide on deleting records, see the Deleting Records section of this user guide.
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To view the details of a Note, click the Note Subject in the List View. This will open the record in Detail View.
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To edit the Note details, click Edit icon within the List View or click the edit button on the Detail View, make the necessary changes, and click Save.
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For a detailed guide on importing and exporting Notes, see the Importing Records and Exporting Records sections of this user guide.
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To track all changes to audited fields, in the Note record, you can click the View Change Log button on the Note’s Detail View or Edit View.
The Documents module can be used as a repository for Customer issued or internal files. This content can be uploaded, revised and viewed in addition to relating to individual records within SuiteCRM.
You can access the Documents actions from the Documents module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Documents actions are as follows:
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Create Document – A new form is opened in Edit View to allow you to create a new Document record.
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View Documents – Redirects you to the List View for the Documents module. This allows you to search and list Document records.
To view the full list of fields available when creating a Document, See Documents Field List.
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To sort records on the Documents List View, click any column title which is sortable. This will sort the column either ascending or descending.
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To search for a Document, see the Search section of this user guide.
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To update some or all the Documents on the List View, use the Mass Update panel as described in the Mass Updating Records section of this user guide.
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To duplicate a Document, you can click the Duplicate button on the Detail View and then save the duplicate record.
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To delete one or multiple Documents, you can select multiple records from the List View and click delete. You can also delete a Document from the Detail View by clicking the Delete button. For a more detailed guide on deleting records, see the Deleting Records section of this user guide.
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To view the details of a Document, click the Document Name in the List View. This will open the record in Detail View.
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To view an attachment, click the attachment link on the List View or Detail View of the Document. To update a document, you can create a Document Revision.
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To edit the Document details, click Edit icon within the List View or click the edit button on the Detail View, make the necessary changes, and click Save.
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For a detailed guide on importing and exporting Documents, see the Importing Records and Exporting Records sections of this user guide.
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To track all changes to audited fields, in the Document record, you can click the View Change Log button on the Document’s Detail View or Edit View.
Typically Targets are used as the recipients of a Marketing Campaign, your organisation knows very little about these individuals and they may be re-used for new Campaigns or deleted without any impact to the business. Your organisation will spend little resources on Targets and will usually be contacted en masse. Targets can be acquired from purchased email lists or gathered from trade shows your organisation has been present. The Targets module in SuiteCRM is used to store and manage information about these individuals.
You can access the Targets actions from the Targets module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Targets actions are as follows:
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Create Target – A new form is opened in Edit View to allow you to create a new Target record.
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View Targets – Redirects you to the List View for the Targets module. This allows you to search and list Target records.
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Import Targets – Redirects you will be taken to the Import Wizard for the Targets module. For more information, see Importing Records.
To view the full list of fields available when creating a Target, See Targets Field List.
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To sort records on the Targets List View, click any column title which is sortable. This will sort the column either ascending or descending.
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To search for a Target, see the Search section of this user guide.
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To update some or all the Targets on the List View, use the Mass Update panel as described in the Mass Updating Records section of this user guide.
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To duplicate a Target, you can click the Duplicate button on the Detail View and then save the duplicate record.
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To delete one or multiple Targets, you can select multiple records from the List View and click delete. You can also delete a Target from the Detail View by clicking the Delete button. For a more detailed guide on deleting records, see the Deleting Records section of this user guide.
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To view the details of a Target, click the Target Name in the List View. This will open the record in Detail View.
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To edit the Target details, click Edit icon within the List View or click the edit button on the Detail View, make the necessary changes, and click Save.
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For a detailed guide on importing and exporting Targets, see the Importing Records and Exporting Records sections of this user guide.
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To track all changes to audited fields, in the Target record, you can click the View Change Log button on the Target’s Detail View or Edit View.
The Target Lists module in SuiteCRM is used to separate Targets into groups, these can be groups of individuals that should be excluded from a particular Campaign, test groups or a list of Targets grouped by certain criteria, for example area or market an organisation works in.
You can access the Target Lists actions from the Target Lists module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Target Lists actions are as follows:
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Create Target List – A new form is opened in Edit View to allow you to create a new Target List record.
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View Target Lists – Redirects you to the List View for the Target Lists module. This allows you to search and list Target List records.
To view the full list of fields available when creating a Target List, See Target Lists Field List.
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To sort records on the Target List List View, click any column title which is sortable. This will sort the column either ascending or descending.
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To search for a Target List, see the Search section of this user guide.
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To update some or all the Target Lists on the List View, use the Mass Update panel as described in the Mass Updating Records section of this user guide.
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To duplicate a Target List, you can click the Duplicate button on the Detail View and then save the duplicate record.
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To delete one or multiple Target Lists, you can select multiple records from the List View and click delete. You can also delete a Target List from the Detail View by clicking the Delete button. For a more detailed guide on deleting records, see the Deleting Records section of this user guide.
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To view the details of a Target List, click the Target List Name in the List View. This will open the record in Detail View.
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To edit the Target List details, click Edit icon within the List View or click the edit button on the Detail View, make the necessary changes, and click Save.
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For a detailed guide on importing and exporting Target Lists, see the Importing Records and Exporting Records sections of this user guide.
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To track all changes to audited fields, in the Target List, you can click the View Change Log button on the Target List’s Detail View or Edit View.
The Campaigns module in SuiteCRM can be a very powerful marketing and advertising tool for your organisation allowing you to create and track Newsletter, Email and non-email Campaigns to prospective or existing customers. With the tracking tools built into the Campaign module you can monitor the response you receive from your Campaign in real time, allowing you to view the return on investment (ROI) and many other useful metrics. This in turn helps you to plan your strategic marketing and advertising activities effectively by visualising which Campaigns work and which do not.
You can access the Campaign actions from the Campaign module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Campaign actions are as follows:
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Create Campaign – This takes you to the Campaign Wizard page.
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View Campaigns – Redirects you to the List View for the Campaign module. This allows you to search and list Campaign records.
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Create Email Template – A WYSIWYG editor where you can create emails by dragging and dropping components, inserting variables and amending the plain text.
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View Email Templates – Takes you to the List View page of your existing Email Templates. This allows you to search and list Email Template records.
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View Diagnostics – Allows you to check that your Campaign Emails and Campaign schedulers are set up correctly. If this is the case then a green tick icon will appear, if there are any issues with the setup then a red cross icon will appear and you should contact your Admin for assistance.
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Create Person Form – A web form template Wizard allowing you to create Leads, Contacts and Targets.
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To view the full list of fields available when creating a Campaign, See Campaign Fields List.
To create a Campaign and to begin the Campaign Wizard click on the Create Campaign button on the sidebar or module menu drop down while in the Campaign module.
Alternatively click on the Create button at the top right of the screen when in the List View of the View Campaigns page. Once you click Create Campaign then you will be presented with three options, Newsletter, Email and Non-email based Campaign.
On clicking your selected Campaign icon you will be taken to the first page of the Campaign Wizard, the Campaign Header page. In this page you will be prompted to complete the required fields of Name and Status as well as having the opportunity to record any information you may wish to about your Campaign Budget (Campaign Budget is on a separate page for Non-email based Campaigns).
Once you have completed the necessary fields and are ready to progress to the next stage then click Next.
For a Newsletter Campaign the next step of the Campaign Wizard allows you to specify your Subscription information.
This stage is made up of three components; the Subscription List, Unsubscription List and Test List.
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The Subscription List - Allows you to set a Target List for your Campaign. This Target List will be used to send out emails for this Campaign. If you have not already created a Target List then an empty list will be created for you and you can set this at a later time.
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The Unsubscription List - Allows you to set a Target List of individuals who have opted out of your marketing and should not be contacted through email. If you have not already created a Target List then an empty list will be created for you and you can set this at a later time.
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The Test List - Allows you to set a Target List to send out test emails for this Campaign. If you have not already created a Target List then an empty list will be created for you and you can set this at a later time.
Once you have completed the necessary fields then click Next and you will be taken to the Templates page which the next stage of the Campaign Wizard.
For all Email and non-email based Campaign the next step of the Campaign Wizard allows you to specify your Target Lists. For Email based Campaigns this is where you would choose a list of people to Email based on Existing Targets already created in the CRM. Or for Telesales (non-email based) Campaigns for example this could be a list of people that you would call.
Recipients that have previously opted out of your marketing Campaigns will automatically be removed from your Target List.
If you have not at this stage created a Target List you can create an empty one using the dropdown menu in the image above and populate it after you have completed the rest of your Campaign setup by visiting the Target Lists page. The next step for non-email based Campaigns is the Campaign Summary page, Email based Campaigns however should move onto the Campaign Templates page.
This page is a WYSIWYG Newsletter Template editor so you can create a template for your marketing emails.
The panel at the top presents you with three options which allows you to select an existing template, create a brand new template or copy an existing template.
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Select an existing template – You can select from a drop down list of existing Email Templates
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Create a brand new template – If you wish to start the Newsletter from scratch then you can select this option.
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Copy an existing template – Allows you select an existing template and use this as a base to make amendments
Once you have chosen an Email Template you can decide you want to insert a Tracker URL. This can be used to insert a link to your organisation’s website or direct link to a new product that you have launched. Also, you are given the opportunity to place an 'Opt Out' link in your template.
Please note that the 'Opt Out' link is added to the template automatically even if you do not insert one at this point. Another interesting feature of the Email Templates page is the ability to personalise your templates by inserting variables. You can for example insert the 'Account ID' variable in the subject line, or even insert the addressee’s first name and last name to add a more personal touch.
The WYSIWYG editor is displayed at the bottom of the Email Template page, this editor allows you to visualise how your template will actually look.
The panel on the left side of the editor allows you to drag and drop different layout components to your template. These then can be edited in the right side display panel. Once you have inserted a component into the display panel you can click on the added item and the editor menu will appear.
This menu provides you with a multitude of additional options which allows you to customise the layout and appearance of your template. Font type can be selected, formatted, colours changed, text alignment chosen, images and even videos can be inserted.
Insert HTML by clicking Tools > Source Code
The bottom panel offers the option to include attachments with your Email Template, this could be used if for example you wished to attach a something like a product catalogue to your Newsletter. Once you are satisfied with your Email Template you can click Next and you will be taken to the Marketing page which is the next stage of the Campaign Wizard.
This section of the Campaign Wizard allows you to specify the Email settings for your Campaign including the Bounce Handling Account, Outgoing Email Account, From/Reply-to Name and Address. In addition to this, you can Schedule your Campaign by completing the Date and Time fields. Once you are satisfied with your Email Settings and Schedule you can click Next and you will be taken to the Summary page which is the final stage of the Campaign Wizard.
The Summary page includes a checklist which indicates that each page of the Campaign Wizard has been completed satisfactorily. If a section is complete then this is shown with green tick icon, otherwise this will be highlighted with a red cross icon. If any section has not been completed then SuiteCRM will not permit the Campaign to be sent. In this instance in the image shown above the 'Choose Targets' section has not been completed correctly as indicated by the red cross icon. This would be resolved by clicking back to the Target List page and specifying a Subscription List with at least one entry. Once you have ensured all sections are complete then you can choose one of three options:
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Send Mail at Scheduled Time – You can click this once you are sure all sections of the Campaign are set correctly and are confident that it is the finished article.
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Send Marketing Email as Test – This option gives you the opportunity to send out your Campaign to your Test List that you specified in the Subscriptions section of the Campaign Wizard. By doing this you can view the Campaign as a recipient and double check that the Campaign appears as it should do before sending out to real prospective/live customers.
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View Details – By clicking this option you are taken to the Detail View of the Campaign record you have just created through the Newsletter Campaign Wizard.
Another feature of the Campaign module is the web form template Wizard allowing you to create Leads, Contacts and Targets. This can be accessed by clicking on the Create Person Form button from the dropdown menu in the Campaign module or via the sidebar when in the module.
Once you have clicked this, you will be taken to the first page of the Create Person Form Wizard.
This stage allows you to specify the type of person you would like to create via your web form. The dropdown menu allows you to choose from a Lead, Contact or Target. On selecting the person type you would like to create the Available Fields dynamically change. Once you have chosen this you can drag and drop the fields you would like to include on your web form. Fields dropped into the First Form Column area are displayed on the left side of your web form and the fields dropped into the Second Form Column area are displayed on the right side of your web form. You can choose to have 1 or 2 columns, all on the left side, right side or on both sides. Please note as a minimum you need to include the required fields included in your web form as indicated by an asterisk. Once you are satisfied with the fields you wish to include click the Next button to progress to the next stage.
On this page you can configure your web form appearance by adding a Form Header/Footer, Form Description, change the label on the Submit button or change how the URL is displayed. As a minimum you have to relate the web form to an existing Campaign and assign to a User before clicking the Generate Form button to progress to the next stage.
The final step of the Create Person Form Wizard allows you to format the web form you have setup by using the WYSIWYG editor. This editor provides you with a multitude of additional options which allows you to customise the layout and appearance of your web form. Font type can be selected, formatted, colours changed, text alignment chosen and images can be inserted. Once you are happy with the appearance of your web form click Save Web Form. On clicking this button you can either click on the link to download the web form you have just created or copy and paste the html to an existing document. By clicking the download link this will save the html form in your download folder.
Please note that the web form will not be stored anywhere else on the CRM, to ensure the html is saved please carry out one of the two steps above.
When in the Detail View of a Campaign record you can access the inbuilt Campaign response tracking by clicking the View Status button.
On clicking this button you will be taken to the Status page for that Campaign record. This page gives an overview of the Campaign details as well as a graphical representation of your Campaign response including the number of messages sent, bounced messages, how many viewers, opt outs and how many clicked through links.
These fields are expanded further down the page and detailed on an individual record level. These records can be added to a new Target List by clicking the Add to Target List button. This allows you to create new, more focussed Campaigns based on who has responded.
When in the Detail View of a Campaign record you can access the inbuilt Campaign ROI tracking by clicking the View ROI button.
On clicking this button you will be taken to the ROI page for that Campaign record. This page gives a graphical representation of your Campaign Return on Investment, allowing you to easily visualise how your organisation’s money spent on the Campaign has translated into potential business.
In SuiteCRM Cases are used to record interactions with Customers when they ask for help or advice, for example in a Sales or Support function. A Case can be created, updated when a User is working on it, assigned to a colleague and closed when resolved. At each stage of the Case the User can track and update the incoming and outgoing conversation thread so a clear record of what has occurred is registered in the CRM. Cases can be related to individual records such as Accounts, Contacts and Bugs.
You can access the Cases actions from the Cases module menu drop down or via the Sidebar. The Cases actions are as follows:
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Create Case – A new form is opened in Edit View to allow you to create a new Account record.
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View Cases – Redirects you to the List View for the Cases module. This allows you to search and list Case records.
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Import Cases – Redirects you will be taken to the Import Wizard for the Cases module. For more information, see Importing Records.
To view the full list of fields available when creating a Case, See Cases Field List.
Advanced functionality for Cases can be found in the Advanced Cases section of this User Guide.
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To sort records on the Cases List View, click any column title which is sortable. This will sort the column either ascending or descending.
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To search for a Case, see the Search section of this user guide.
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To update some or all the Cases on the List View, use the Mass Update panel as described in the Mass Updating Records section of this user guide.
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To duplicate a Case, you can click the Duplicate button on the Detail View and then save the duplicate record.
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To merge duplicate Cases, select the records from the Cases List View, click the Merge link in the Actions drop-down list, and progress through the merge process. For more information on Merging Duplicates, see the Merging Records section of this user guide.
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To delete one or multiple Cases, you can select multiple records from the List View and click delete. You can also delete a Case from the Detail View by clicking the Delete button. For a more detailed guide on deleting records, see the Deleting Records section of this user guide.
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To view the details of a Cases, click the Case Subject in the List View. This will open the record in Detail View.
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To edit the Case details, click Edit icon within the List View or click the edit button on the Detail View, make the necessary changes, and click Save.
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For a detailed guide on importing and exporting Cases, see the Importing Records and Exporting Records sections of this user guide.
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To track all changes to audited fields, in the Case record, you can click the View Change Log button on the Case’s Detail View or Edit View.
In SuiteCRM the Projects module allows the User to arrange their organisation’s projects by tracking a number of Tasks and allocating resources. Once set up, a project can be visualised in the form of a Gantt chart or using the project grid.
You can access the Projects actions from the Projects module menu drop down or via the Sidebar once you have clicked to view the module. The Projects actions are as follows:
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Create Project – A new form is opened in Edit View to allow you to create a new Project record.
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View Project – Redirects you to the List View for the Projects module. This allows you to search and list Project records.
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View Project Tasks – Allows you to list Project Tasks, which are related to a parent Project.
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Import Project – Redirects you to the Import Wizard for the Projects module. For more information, see Importing Records.
To view the full list of fields available when creating a Project, See Projects Field List.
In the Projects module, you can create, manage, and duplicate Projects and Project Tasks.
You can define multiple Project Tasks for each Project. When you create a Project Task, you must associate it with a Project. You can associate a Project with multiple activities, Accounts, Opportunities, and Cases. You can also create Projects and Project Tasks from an Email’s detail page.
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In the Actions bar, click Create Project.
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On the Projects page, enter information for the following fields:
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Name. Enter a name for the Project.
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Status. From the drop-down list, select the Project status such as Draft, In Review, or Published.
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Start Date. Click the Calendar icon and select the Project start date.
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End Date. Click the Calendar icon and select the Project end date.
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Assigned to. Enter the name of you who has ownership of the Project. By default, it is assigned to you.
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Priority. From the drop-down list, select the importance of the Project such as Low, Medium, or High.
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Description. Enter a brief description of the Project.
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Click Save to create the Project; click Cancel to exit the page without creating the Project.
When you save the Project, the Project’s detail page displays on the page.
From this page, you can relate the Project to records such as Contacts and Opportunities.
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In the Project Tasks sub-panel, click Create.
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On the Project Tasks page, enter information for the following fields:
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Name. Enter a name for the task.
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Task ID. Enter a numerical value as the task identification number.
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Start Date. Click the Calendar icon and select the date when the task is due to begin.
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Finish Date. Click the Calendar icon and select a date when the task is due to be completed; enter the start time in the adjoining field.
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Percentage Complete. Enter a numerical value to indicate what percentage of the task has been completed.
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Priority. From the drop-down list, select a priority level that reflects the importance of completing this task.
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Milestone. Check this box if the completion on this task is considered a milestone for project completion.
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Project Name. Click Select and choose the project associated with the task.
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Description. Enter a brief description of the task.
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Click Save to create the task; click Cancel to return to the project detail page without creating the task.
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To sort the List View on the Projects and Project Tasks list view, click any column title which is sortable. This will sort the column either ascending or descending.
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To search for a Project or Project task, see the Search section of this user guide.
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To update some or all the Projects or Project Tasks on the List View, use the Mass Update panel as described in the Mass Updating Records section of this user guide.
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To duplicate a Project, you can click the Duplicate button on the Detail View and then save the duplicate record.
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To delete one or multiple Projects, you can select multiple records from the List View and click delete. You can also delete a Project from the Detail View by clicking the Delete button. For a more detailed guide on deleting records, see the Deleting Records section of this user guide.
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To view the details of a Project or Project Task, click the Project or Project Task Name in the List View. This will open the record in Detail View.
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To edit the Project or Project Task details, click Edit icon within the List View or click the edit button on the Detail View, make the necessary changes, and click Save.
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For a detailed guide on importing and exporting Projects and Project Tasks, see the Importing Records and Exporting Records sections of this user guide.
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To track all changes to audited fields, in the Project or Project Task record, you can click the View Change Log button on the Project’s or Project Task’s Detail View or Edit View.
In this chapter we have covered the functionality of the core modules. These modules allow the user to define and refine sales processes, with the ability to record data in detail within the required module.
In the next chapter, we will cover the advanced modules within SuiteCRM. These modules allow the user to manage further sales processes, create automated workflows, design reports and more.
By now, you should have a fundamental understanding of the SuiteCRM user interface, basic modules, layouts, creating, searching and managing records.
The next section of this User Guide covers in detail the Advanced CRM modules. SuiteCRM has Advanced CRM modules which allow Users to further enhance your Sales Force Automation Capabilities and improve business processes.
The first 'Suite' of advanced modules is AOS(Advanced Open Sales). The various modules that are part of the AOS suite of modules allow you to manage the Post-Opportunity Sales processes such as Quoting, Invoicing and recurring Contracting. This functionality is made available to you through the following modules:
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Product Categories
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Products
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PDF Templates
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Quotations
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Invoices
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Contracts
System Administrator users can alter the settings for AOS using the AOS Settings page under the Advanced OpenSales panel within the Admin Panel.
You can customise the following settings within the AOS Settings:
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Renewal Reminder Period – This defines how many days before the Contract End Date that a reminder call should be created.
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Initial Invoice Number – Allows users to set the initial invoice number. For example 20001.
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Initial Quote Number – Allows users to set the initial quote number. For example 456.
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Enable Line Items Groups – If selected then users will be able to bundle line items into groups. If this is not selected then you will not be able to use the AOS Group functionality. Note: This setting should be selected before using AOS – It is difficult to migrate from/to groups once Quotes/Invoices have been created.
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Add Tax to Line Total – If this is selected then the Tax will be added into the Line Total on Line Items. If this is not the selected the Line Total will not include Tax.
Once configured, click 'Save' to apply your AOS Settings.
You can create Product records using the Products module. Creating products allows users to select product lines when preparing Quotes using AOS. The products module allows users to specify the Products Name, Part Number, Category and Type. Additional fields for Products can be added using Studio.
The module also allows users to define a Cost and Price for the product. Price is the selling price which will be used in the quoting process. A related Contact can be associated to the product. This is the point of contact with the supplier concerning this product. If you have an Image of the product then this can be uploaded within the products record. A URL to the products page on your website can also be specified.
The Product Categories module allows Users to structure Products into a hierarchical category structure. To create a Product Category record, navigate to the Product Categories module and click the 'Create Product Categories' button in the action bar.
The Parent Category field is a relationship field to another Product Categories record. If you check the 'Is Parent Category' field then this signifies that the category is the highest level. Once selected you will not be able to select a Parent Category using the relate field.
Creating Templates
AOS allows users to generate PDF documents and merge data from SuiteCRM modules. You must however create a PDF template first.
This module provides a WYSIWYG interface to create dynamic PDF templates. You must select a Type. This is the module you are building the PDF Template for. By default the modules you can select are: Quotes Invoices Accounts Contacts Leads
System Administrator users can extend this list by editing the 'pdf_template_type_dom' using the drop down editor functionality. Please note that the drop down 'Item Name' must be the name of the module directory.
To insert fields into the Body of the template users will first select a module. This will be the either the same module as the Type or a related module to the Type module. This is selected using the first drop down on the Insert Fields row.
This will populate the second drop down with all the fields found within that module. Once you have selected the field you wish to insert, the text field will populate with the field variable name. Click 'Insert' to place this field into the Body of the template. If the Active check box is selected then users will be able to generate PDFs from this template. If it is not selected you will not.
Loading Samples
AOS comes with seven pre-defined PDF templates to help you create your own. These can be loaded by selecting the appropriate template from the Load Sample drop down list.
Line Items
When using a sample to create a template for Quotes or Invoices the Line Items are formatted within a table. You can change the fields found in this table as well as add or remove columns. Please note that if you are creating the template from scratch you must format the Line Items section as a table.
Margins
At the bottom of the PDF Template Edit View, you can specify the margin width for the PDF output.
Header and Footer
Within the PDF Templates Edit View, you can also define a Header and a Footer for your templates. These can be completed using the Header and Footer text areas found below the Body text area.
Generate Letter
You can generate PDF documents for Accounts, Contacts and Leads using the Generate Letter functionality.
Clicking the 'Generate Letter' button found on these modules Detail View will prompt a pop-up asking to select a template.
The template selector pop-up will show all the active templates which have the same Type as the module of the record. Clicking the template name will generate a PDF document with date populated from the record and it’s related records. The Generate Letter functionality can also be actioned from the List View. This allows you to select multiple records and click the 'Generate Letter' button within the List View action menu.
The process for generating PDFs for Quotes, Invoices and Contracts is described in your respective sections.
Creating a Quote
You can create a Quote by going to the Quotes module and clicking 'Create Quote' from within the actions bar. The first panel allows you to specify details concerning the quote such as the Title, related Opportunity, Stage and Payment Terms. The Quote Number field is calculated automatically.
The second panel allows you to specify who the Quote is for by relating an Account and Contact to the Quote. When you select the Account, the Billing Address and Shipping Address are dynamically pulled from the Account and populated into the fields on the Quote record.
Line Items with Groups
The third panel allows users to specify the Quote Groups, Line Items and the Currency. A Group is a collection of Line Items with its own Group Total. A Line Item can be a Product Line or a Service Line. To add a Quote Group, click the 'Add Group' button.
Note: Add Group will be displayed if “Enable Line Item groups” is selected in Admin.
This will display the Group, allowing you to insert a Group Name and add a Product Line or Service Line. It will also display the Group Totals.
To add a Product Line, click the 'Add Product Line' button. This will allow users to quote for Products from the Products module.
To select a Product, you can start typing in the Product or Part Number field which will provide a list of results similar to any relate field. Alternatively click the arrow button next to the Part Number field. This will display a pop-up window allowing you to select from a list of Products.
Once you have selected a Product, the List, Sale Price and Total will populate automatically. You can change the Quality, add Discounts (Percentage or Amount) and increase the Tax percentage. These will alter the Sale Price, Total Price and Group Total fields. To add a Service Line, click the 'Add Service Line' button. This will allow users to quote for Services.
For Service Lines, you must specify the List price. This will populate the Sale Price. Tax and Discounts can be added similarly to the Product Line. AOS will keep a Grand Total for each Group.
AOS will also keep a Grand Total for all Groups combined.
The Shipping field allows you to add a shipping cost. The Shipping Tax field allows you to add tax to this value. Once the Quote has been compiled, click 'Save' to save the Quote.
Line Items without Groups
Creating Quotes without Groups is very similar to creating Quotes with Groups. The only difference is you do not have to click 'Add Group'. You simply 'Add Product Line' and 'Add Service Line' to the quote. Without Groups you are cannot see the Group Total fields. You will only see the Grand Total fields.
Sending Quotations
To output a Quote you can select one of following three buttons from the Quote Detail View.
AOS provides users with three methods of sending Quotes:
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Print as PDF – Allows you to select a template and download or save a PDF of the Quote.
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Email PDF – Allows you to select a template then directs you to the SuiteCRM email client 'Compose' screen. The Quote PDF will be attached to email and the email will be addressed to the related Contact of the Quote. This allows you to fill out the email body.
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Email Quotation – This directs you to the SuiteCRM email client 'Compose' screen. The email will be addressed to the related Contact of the Quote. There will be no attachment and the Quote will be displayed within the body of the email.
Convert To Invoice
With AOS you can convert Quotes to Invoices. This can be achieved by clicking the 'Convert to Invoice' button on the Quote Detail View.
This functionality will redirect users to the Edit View of an Invoice record. Fields will be populated based on your Quote counterparts and Line Items will be copied over. When you are ready to create the Invoice, click the 'Save' button. Converting a Quote to an Invoice will set the Invoice Status of the quote to 'Invoiced'.
Create Contract
As well as converting to an Invoice, AOS allows users to create a Contract based on a Quote. This can be done by clicking the 'Create Contract' button on the Quote Detail View.
This will redirect you to the Edit View of a Contract record, pulling through any appropriate fields from the Quote. This includes any Line Items on the Quote.
Creating an Invoice
Creating an Invoice record is very similar to creating a Quote record. You can create an Invoice by going to the Invoices module and clicking 'Create Invoice' from within the actions bar. The first panel allows you to specify details about the Invoice such as Status and Due Date.
The second panel allows you to specify who the Invoice is for by relating an Account and Contact to the Invoice. When you select the Account, the Billing Address and Shipping Address are dynamically pulled from the Account and populated into the fields on the Invoice record.
Groups and Line Items
AOS allows users to add Groups and Line Items to Invoices. This is completed in the exact same way as Quotes. Please refer to Quotes section for details on how to create Groups and Line Items.
Sending Invoices
To output an Invoice you can select one of following three buttons from the Invoice Detail View.
AOS provides users with three methods of sending Invoices:
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Print as PDF – Allows users to select a template and download or save a PDF of the Invoice.
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Email PDF – Allows users to select a template then directs you to the SuiteCRM email client 'Compose' screen. The Invoice PDF will be attached to email and the email will be addressed to the related Contact of the Invoice. This allows user to fill out the email body.
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Email Invoice – This directs you to the SuiteCRM email client 'Compose' screen. The email will be addressed to the related Contact of the Invoice. There will be no attachment and the Invoice will be displayed within the body of the email.
Creating a Contract
AOS allows users to create Contracts using the Contracts module.
When the Contract is created the Renewal Reminder Date will populate automatically based on the amount of days specified in the AOS Settings in Admin. A Call will be scheduled and assigned to the Contract Manger for this date.
Groups and Line Items
AOS allows users to add Groups and Line Items for Contracts. This is completed in the exact same way as Quotes. Please refer to Quotes section for details on how to create Groups and Line Items.
Advanced OpenWorkflow (AOW) is a module for SuiteCRM, allowing users to create custom workflow processes. This module allows users to trigger various system actions based on conditions from any SuiteCRM module.
You can create workflow processes by navigating to the 'WorkFlow' module within SuiteCRM. Click the 'Create WorkFlow' button within the action bar to start creating the process. The first panel allows users to set up the workflow process.
This allows you to specify the following:
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Name – The name of the process.
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Assigned To - The assigned user of the workflow process.
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WorkFlow Module – A drop down list of all the modules found within the SuiteCRM instance. This is the module the workflow is run against. For example, When an Account is created/edited.
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Status – Active or Inactive. Only active processes will run.
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Run – Always, On Save or On Scheduler.
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Run On – All Records, Modified Records or New Records.
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Repeated Runs – If checked, the process will continue to run over and over. Ideally this should only be checked if one of the specified Actions negates (or will lead to the negation) of one of the specified Conditions.
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Description – A description of the process.
Adding Conditions
Once set up, you can add conditions to a workflow process using the conditions panel. This allows users to specify the criteria that should trigger the workflow actions.
To add a Condition Line you must click the 'Add Condition' button.
Note: You must select your WorkFlow Module on the first panel before adding a Condition Line.
You can have an unlimited amount of Condition Lines. To add another line click the 'Add Condition' button again and it will appear. On the line you will have four fields; Field, Operator, Type and Value.
Field and Operator
Field is a drop down which automatically populates with all the fields found in the WorkFlow Module.
The Field selected will determine the options available for Operator and Type. If the field type is not a number or date then the operators available will be 'Equal To' or 'Not Equal To'. For number and date fields you can also choose from additional logical operators; 'Less Than', 'Greater Than', 'Less Than or Equal To' or 'Greater Than or Equal To'.
Condition Types
You can specify workflow processes to trigger on different condition types. These are as follows:
Value – This is used to directly compare the Field to a value. The value type offered is dynamic to the field type of the Field selected. For example, if the field type is a drop down then the value field type will be the same drop down list.
Field – This is used to action a workflow process when one field is compared to another field in the record.
Multiple – This can be selected if the Field is a drop down/multiselect. This allows users to specify multiple values to action the workflow from.
Date – This allows you to specify the workflow to occur after/before an amount of time from either another date field or 'Now'. For example, when the start date of a call is 'Now + 10 minutes'. This can only be used when the Field is a date field. The amount of time before or after the date can be specified in Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks or Months.
Removing Conditions
You can remove Condition Lines by clicking the '-' button on the left hand side of the condition.
Adding Actions
Actions are defined in the third panel. These specify what events should occur when the conditions have been met. You can add an Action by clicking the 'Add Action' button.
This will cause the Action Line to appear.
From the Action Line you can Select Action and give it a Name. The actions available are; 'Create Record', 'Modify Record' and 'Send Email'. You can specify an unlimited amount of actions for each workflow process.
Create Record
If you select 'Create Record' you will be prompted to select a Record Type. This is the module type of the record you are looking to create.
Once selected you can add fields or relationships to this record using the 'Add Field' and 'Add Relationship' buttons.
When Adding fields the first drop down in the line will populate with all the fields from that module. The second drop down allows you to specify how the value for that field is going to be derived. For most cases the options are as follows:
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Value – This will allow you to input the value directly using the same field type as the field selected.
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Field – This will make the field the same value as a field found in the WorkFlow Module.
-
Date – Only selectable if the field is a date field. This will allow you to specify the value as an amount of time after/before another date field or 'Now'.
Selecting the 'Assigned-To' field also gives you more options. As well as by value and field you can assign a user by:
Round Robin – This will select each user in turn.
Least Busy – This will select you with the least amount of records assigned to you for that module.
Random – This will select a random user.
For each of the above options you can choose if you want you to be selected from all users or users from a specific role. If you have the SecuritySuite module installed you can additionally choose if you want you to be selected from all users from a particular Security Group or all users from a particular security group with a particular role.
When adding relationships you must select the related module from the drop down list then select the record that the new record should be related to.
Note: You must selected the related module using the arrow button – The auto completion on the text field is not currently developed.
Modify Record
This provides the same functionality as 'Create Record' but instead of creating a new record you are modifying the record which met the conditions of the workflow process. With this action you can modify any field found within the record or you can add a relationship to another record. This is completed in the same way as 'Create Record' except you are not required to specify the Record Type.
Send Email
The 'Send Email' action allows users to create workflow processes which will send an email based on an template to individuals. Using this action there are four different types of recipient.
Email – This will send an email to a specific email address. You must specify the email address and the email template.
Record Email – This will send an email to the primary email address specified on the record which actioned the workflow process. This can only be used if the record has an email field such as Accounts and Contacts. For this option you only need to specify the template.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image127.png</span>
User – This will send the email to a specified Users email address. You must specify the recipient user and the template of the email.
Related Field – This will send an email to the primary email address specified on a related modules record. In this case you must specify the related module (From a drop down list) and the email template.
If you select 'Calculate Fields' from the Action dropdown the Calculate Fields user interface will be loaded after a second and looks like the picture below.
Calculate Fields - Adding parameters
It is possible to add parameters to the formulas by using the dropdown in the Parameters section of the Calculate Fields’s user interface. The dropdown contains all of the (basic and custom) fields which belongs to the module selected in the basic fields section.
To add a parameter, select the field from the dropdown and click on the Add parameter button. After this action, a new line appears in the parameter table with the name of the field and the given identifier.
For some fields (dropdowns and multi-selects) an additional dropdown shown up where the user can select if the raw or the formatted value should be used in Calculated Fields. The raw format means the value which is stored in the database and the formatted value means the label for that database value.
To remove a parameter from the table, simply click on the minus button in the row of the parameter. Be aware, that if you remove a parameter, all of the identifiers are recalculated, so the identifiers could change for fields!
The identifier is used to reference this field when the user creates the formula. For example all appearances of the {P0} identifier will be replaced with the Account’s name in the formula. All parameters are like {Px} where x is the sequential order of the parameter. The amount of the parameters is not limited.
Calculate Fields - Adding relation parameters
Relation parameters are very similar to the regular parameters, the only difference is that the user first selects an entity which is in a one-to-one or one-to-many relationship with the actual entity.
To add a relation parameter, select the relation first, and then select the field from the connected entity and push the Add relation parameter button. After this action, a new line appears in the relation parameter table with the name of the relationship, the name of the field and the given identifier.
As for parameters for some relation parameter fields (dropdowns and multi-selects) an additional dropdown shown up where the user can select if the raw or the formatted value should be used in Calculate Fields.
To remove a relation parameter from the table, simply click on the minus button in the row of the relation parameter. Be aware, that if you remove a relation parameter, all of the identifiers are recalculated, so the identifiers could change for fields!
The identifier is used to reference this field when the user creates the formula. For example all appearances of the {R0} identifier will be replaced with the creator user‘s username in the formula. All relation parameters are like {Rx} where x is the sequential order of the relation parameter. The amount of the relation parameters is not limited.
Calculate Fields - Creating formula for a field
In the Formulas part of the user interface the user can add formulas for fields of the actual entity.
To add a formula, select a field from the dropdown first and then push the Add formula button. After this action, a new line appears in the formula table with the name of the field and with the place for the formula.
To remove a formula from the table, simply click on the minus button in the row of the formula.
The formula is a textbox where the user can write the formulas. The module evaluates the formula on the given time (on save, on scheduler run or both) and fills the selected field with the evaluated value.
The formula can contain any text (with full UTF-8 support), but only the function parts (functions with parameters between ‘\{‘ and ‘}’) are evaluated. For example and with the parameters added in the previous sections, if we fill the formula like: Account {P0} created by user name {R0}, then the description field will have the following value after save: Account My Account created by user name MyUser (implying the account’s name is My Account and the creator user’s username is MyUser).
The Calculate Fields has many built-in functions which allows the user to build complex formulas to achieve various goals. These functions are described in the next section.
Calculate Fields - Usable functions
As it is mentioned above, all of the functions are wrapped between ‘\{‘ and ‘}’ signs, and they look like \{functionName(parameter1; parameter2; …)}. The count of the parameters are different for the different functions. The module evaluates the functions and changes them with their result in the formula.
The functions can be embedded into each other (using a result of a function as a parameter for another function) like in this example:
<pre style="white-space: pre; white-space: -moz-pre; white-space: -pre; white-space: -o-pre;"> \{power(\{subtract(\{divide(\{add(\{multiply(10; 2)}; 12)}; 8)}; 1)}; 2)} </pre>
This function is the formalised look of the following mathematical expression:
<pre style="white-space: pre; white-space: -moz-pre; white-space: -pre; white-space: -o-pre;"> ((((10 * 2) + 12) / 8) – 1)2 </pre>
The functions are divided to six groups. These groups are described in the next section of the document.
Logical Functions
Logical functions are returning true or false in the form of 1 and 0 so checkboxes typed fields can be filled with these functions. They can be also used as the logical condition for the ifThenElse function.
equal
Signature |
\{equal(parameter1;parameter2)} |
Parameters |
parameter1: can be any value of any type |
parameter2: can be any value of any type |
Description |
Determines if parameter1 equals with parameter2 |
Returns |
1 if the two parameters are equal or 0 if not |
Example call |
notEqual
Signature |
\{notEqual(parameter1; parameter2)} |
Parameters |
parameter1: can be any value of any type |
parameter2: can be any value of any type |
Description |
Determines if parameter1 not equals with parameter2 |
Returns |
0 if the two parameters are equal or 1 if not |
Example call |
greaterThan
Signature |
\{greaterThan(parameter1; parameter2)} |
Parameters |
parameter1: can be any value of any type |
parameter2: can be any value of any type |
Description |
Determines if parameter1 greater than parameter2 |
Returns |
1 if parameter1 greater than parameter2, 0 if not |
Example call |
greaterThanOrEqual
| Signature | \{greaterThanOrEqual(parameter1; parameter2)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
parameter1: can be any value of any type |
parameter2: can be any value of any type |
Description |
Determines if parameter1 greater than or equal parameter2 |
Returns |
1 if parameter1 greater than or equal parameter2, 0 if not |
Example call |
lessThan
Signature |
\{lessThan(parameter1; parameter2)} |
Parameters |
parameter1: can be any value of any type |
parameter2: can be any value of any type |
Description |
Determines if parameter1 less than parameter2 |
Returns |
1 if parameter1 less than parameter2, 0 if not |
Example call |
lessThanOrEqual
Signature |
\{lessThanOrEqual(parameter1; parameter2)} |
Parameters |
parameter1: can be any value of any type |
parameter2: can be any value of any type |
Description |
Determines if parameter1 less than or equal parameter2 |
Returns |
1 if parameter1 less than or equal parameter2, 0 if not |
Example call |
empty
Signature |
\{empty(parameter)} |
Parameters |
parameter: text value |
Description |
Determines if parameter is empty |
Returns |
1 if parameter is empty, 0 if not |
Example call |
\{empty(any text)} returns 0 |
notEmpty
Signature |
\{notEmpty(parameter)} |
Parameters |
parameter: text value |
Description |
Determines if parameter is not empty |
Returns |
1 if parameter is not empty, 0 if empty |
Example call |
\{notEmpty(any text)} returns 1 |
not
Signature |
\{not(parameter)} |
Parameters |
parameter: logical value |
Description |
Negates the logical value of the parameter |
Returns |
1 if parameter is 0, 0 if parameter is 1 |
Example call |
\{not(0)} returns 1 |
and
| Signature | \{and(parameter1; parameter2)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
parameter1: logical value |
parameter2: logical value |
Description |
Applies the AND logical operator to two logical values |
Returns |
1 if parameter1 and parameter2 is 1, 0 if any parameters are 0 |
Example call |
or
| Signature | \{or(parameter1; parameter2)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
parameter1: logical value |
parameter2: logical value |
Description |
Applies the OR logical operator to two logical values |
Returns |
1 if parameter1 or parameter2 is 1, 0 if both parameters are 0 |
Example call |
Text Functions
Text functions are used to manipulate text in various ways. All the functions listed here are fully supports UTF-8 texts, so special characters should not raise any problems.
substring
| Signature | \{substring(text; start; length)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
text: text value |
start: decimal value |
length [optional parameter]: decimal value |
Description |
Cuts the substring of a text field from start. If the length optional parameter is not set, then it cuts all characters until the end of the string, otherwise cuts the provided length. Indexing of a text’s characters starting from 0. |
Returns |
Substring of the given text |
Example call |
\{substring(This is my text; 5)} returns is my text |
length
Signature |
\{length(parameter)} |
Parameters |
parameter: text value |
Description |
Count the characters in a text. |
Returns |
The count of the characters in a text. |
Example call |
\{length(sample text)} returns 11 |
replace
| Signature | \{replace(search; replace; subject)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
search: text value |
replace: text value |
subject: text value |
Description |
Replace all occurrences of search to replace in the text subject. |
Returns |
subject with replaced values. |
Example call |
\{replace(apple; orange; This is an apple tree)} returns This is an orange tree |
position
| Signature | \{position(subject; search)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
subject: text value |
search: text value |
|
Description |
Find position of first occurrence of search in a subject |
Returns |
Numeric position of search in subject or -1 if search not present in subject |
Example call |
\{position(Where is my text?; text)} returns 12 |
lowercase
| Signature | \{lowercase(parameter)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
parameter: text value |
Description |
Make text lowercase |
Returns |
The lowercased text. |
Example call |
\{lowercase(ThIs iS a sAmPlE tExT)} returns this is a sample text |
uppercase
| Signature | \{uppercase(parameter)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
parameter: text value |
Description |
Make text uppercase |
Returns |
The uppercased text. |
Example call |
\{uppercase(ThIs iS a sAmPlE tExT)} returns THIS IS A SAMPLE TEXT |
Mathematical functions
Mathematical functions are used to manipulate numbers in various ways. Several mathematical operators are implemented as functions in Calculate Fields.
add
Signature |
\{add(parameter1; parameter2)} |
Parameters |
parameter1: number value |
parameter2: number value |
Description |
Adds parameter1 and parameter2 |
Returns |
The sum of parameter1 and parameter2 |
Example call |
subtract
Signature |
\{subtract(parameter1; parameter2)} |
Parameters |
parameter1: number value |
parameter2: number value |
Description |
Subtracts parameter2 from parameter1 |
Returns |
The distinction of parameter2 and parameter1 |
Example call |
multiply
Signature |
\{multiply(parameter1; parameter2)} |
Parameters |
parameter1: number value |
parameter2: number value |
Description |
Multiplies parameter1 and parameter2 |
Returns |
The product of parameter1 and parameter2 |
Example call |
divide
Signature |
\{divide(parameter1; parameter2)} |
Parameters |
parameter1: number value |
parameter2: number value |
Description |
Divides parameter2 with parameter1 |
Returns |
The division of parameter2 and parameter1 |
Example call |
power
Signature |
\{power(parameter1; parameter2)} |
Parameters |
parameter1: number value |
parameter2: number value |
Description |
Raises parameter1 to the power of parameter2 |
Returns |
parameter1 raised to the power of parameter2 |
Example call |
squareRoot
Signature |
\{squareRoot(parameter)} |
Parameters |
parameter: number value |
Description |
Calculates the square root of parameter |
Returns |
The square root of parameter |
Example call |
\{squareRoot(4)} returns 2 |
absolute
Signature |
\{absolute(parameter)} |
Parameters |
parameter: number value |
Description |
Calculates the absolute value of parameter |
Returns |
The absolute value of parameter |
Example call |
\{absolute(-4)} returns 4 |
Date functions
There are several date functions implemented in Calculate Fields, so the user can manipulate dates in many ways. Most of the functions uses a format parameter, which is used to set the result of the functions formatted as the user wants to. The options for these formats are equivalent with the PHP format parameters:
| Format character | Description | Example returned values |
|---|---|---|
For day |
style="text-align: center;" |
d |
Day of the month, 2 digits with leading zeros |
01 to 31 |
style="text-align: center;" |
D |
A textual representation of a day, three letters |
Mon through Sun |
style="text-align: center;" |
j |
Day of the month without leading zeros |
1 to 31 |
style="text-align: center;" |
l |
A full textual representation of the day of the week |
Sunday through Saturday |
style="text-align: center;" |
N |
ISO-8601 numeric representation of the day of the week |
1 (for Monday) through 7 (for Sunday) |
style="text-align: center;" |
S |
English ordinal suffix for the day of the month, 2 characters |
st, nd, rd or th. Works well with j |
style="text-align: center;" |
w |
Numeric representation of the day of the week |
0 (for Sunday) through 6 (for Saturday) |
style="text-align: center;" |
z |
The day of the year (starting from 0) |
0 through 365 |
For week |
style="text-align: center;" |
W |
ISO-8601 week number of year, weeks starting on Monday |
42 (the 42nd week in the year) |
For month |
style="text-align: center;" |
F |
A full textual representation of a month, such as January or March |
January through December |
style="text-align: center;" |
m |
Numeric representation of a month, with leading zeros |
01 through 12 |
style="text-align: center;" |
M |
A short textual representation of a month, three letters |
Jan through Dec |
style="text-align: center;" |
n |
Numeric representation of a month, without leading zeros |
1 through 12 |
style="text-align: center;" |
t |
Number of days in the given month |
28 through 31 |
For year |
style="text-align: center;" |
L |
Whether it’s a leap year |
1 if it is a leap year, 0 otherwise |
style="text-align: center;" |
o |
ISO-8601 year number. This has the same value as Y, except that if the ISO week number (W) belongs to the previous or next year, that year is used instead |
1999 or 2003 |
style="text-align: center;" |
Y |
A full numeric representation of a year, 4 digits |
1999 or 2003 |
style="text-align: center;" |
y |
A two digit representation of a year |
99 or 03 |
For time |
style="text-align: center;" |
a |
Lowercase Ante meridiem and Post meridiem |
am or pm |
style="text-align: center;" |
A |
Uppercase Ante meridiem and Post meridiem |
AM or PM |
style="text-align: center;" |
B |
Swatch Internet time |
000 through 999 |
style="text-align: center;" |
g |
12-hour format of an hour without leading zeros |
1 through 12 |
style="text-align: center;" |
G |
24-hour format of an hour without leading zeros |
0 through 23 |
style="text-align: center;" |
h |
12-hour format of an hour with leading zeros |
01 through 12 |
style="text-align: center;" |
H |
24-hour format of an hour with leading zeros |
00 through 23 |
style="text-align: center;" |
i |
Minutes with leading zeros |
00 to 59 |
style="text-align: center;" |
s |
Seconds, with leading zeros |
00 through 59 |
For timezone |
style="text-align: center;" |
e |
Timezone identifier |
UTC, GMT, Atlantic/Azores |
style="text-align: center;" |
l |
Whether or not the date is in daylight saving time |
1 if Daylight Saving Time, 0 otherwise |
style="text-align: center;" |
O |
Difference to Greenwich time (GMT) in hours |
+0200 |
style="text-align: center;" |
P |
Difference to Greenwich time (GMT) with colon between hours and minutes |
+02:00 |
style="text-align: center;" |
T |
Timezone abbreviation |
EST, MDT |
style="text-align: center;" |
Z |
Timezone offset in seconds. The offset for timezones west of UTC is always negative, and for those east of UTC is always positive. |
-43200 through 50400 |
For full date/time |
style="text-align: center;" |
c |
ISO 8601 date |
2004-02-12T15:19:21+00:00 |
style="text-align: center;" |
r |
RFC 2822 formatted date |
Thu, 21 Dec 2000 16:01:07 +0200 |
style="text-align: center;" |
U |
Seconds since the Unix Epoch (January 1 1970 00:00:00 GMT) |
For all functions without timestamp parameter, we assume that the current date/time is 2016.04.29. 15:08:03
date
Signature |
\{date(format; timestamp)} |
Parameters |
format: format text |
timestamp: date/time value |
Description |
Creates a date in the given format |
Returns |
timestamp in the given format |
Example call |
now
Signature |
\{now(format)} |
Parameters |
format: format text |
Description |
Creates the actual date/time in the given format |
Returns |
Current date/time in the given format |
Example call |
\{now(Y-m-d H:i:s)} returns 2016-04-29 15:08:03 |
yesterday
Signature |
\{yesterday(format)} |
Parameters |
format: format text |
Description |
Creates yesterday’s date/time in the given format |
Returns |
Yesterday’s date/time in the given format |
Example call |
\{yesterday(Y-m-d H:i:s)} returns 2016-04-28 15:08:03 |
tomorrow
Signature |
\{tomorrow(format)} |
Parameters |
format: format text |
Description |
Creates tomorrow’s date/time in the given format |
Returns |
Tomorrow’s date/time in the given format |
Example call |
\{tomorrow(Y-m-d H:i:s)} returns 2016-04-30 15:08:03 |
datediff
Signature |
\{datediff(timestamp1; timestamp2; unit)} |
Parameters |
timestamp1: date/time value |
timestamp2: date/time value |
unit: years/months/days/hours/minutes/seconds; default: days |
Description |
Subtracts timestamp2 from timestamp1 |
Returns |
The difference between the two dates returned in unit |
Example call |
\{datediff(2016-02-01; 2016-04-22; days)} returns 81 |
addYears
Signature |
\{addYears(format; timestamp; amount)} |
Parameters |
format: format text |
timestamp: date/time value |
amount: decimal number |
Description |
Adds amount years to timestamp |
Returns |
Incremented date in format |
Example call |
\{addYears(Ymd; 2016-04-22; 1)} returns 20170422 |
addMonths
Signature |
\{addMonths(format; timestamp; amount)} |
Parameters |
format: format text |
timestamp: date/time value |
amount: decimal number |
Description |
Adds amount months to timestamp |
Returns |
Incremented date in format |
Example call |
\{addMonths(Ymd; 2016-04-22; 1)} returns 20160522 |
addDays
Signature |
\{addDays(format; timestamp; amount)} |
Parameters |
format: format text |
timestamp: date/time value |
amount: decimal number |
Description |
Adds amount days to timestamp |
Returns |
Incremented date in format |
Example call |
\{addDays(Ymd; 2016-04-22; 1)} returns 20160423 |
addHours
| Signature | \{addHours(format; timestamp; amount)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
format: format text |
timestamp: date/time value |
amount: decimal number |
Description |
Adds amount hours to timestamp |
Returns |
Incremented date in format |
Example call |
\{addHours(Ymd H:i:s; 2016-04-22 23:30; 5)} returns 20160423 04:30:00 |
addMinutes
| Signature | \{addMinutes(format; timestamp; amount)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
format: format text |
timestamp: date/time value |
amount: decimal number |
Description |
Adds amount minutes to timestamp |
Returns |
Incremented date in format |
Example call |
\{addMinutes(Ymd H:i:s; 2016-04-22 22:58; 5)} returns 20160422 23:03:00 |
addSeconds
| Signature | \{addSeconds(format; timestamp; amount)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
format: format text |
timestamp: date/time value |
amount: decimal number |
Description |
Adds amount seconds to timestamp |
Returns |
Incremented date in format |
Example call |
\{addSeconds(Ymd H:i:s; 2016-04-22 22:58; 5)} returns 20160422 22:58:05 |
subtractYears
Signature |
\{subtractYears(format; timestamp; amount)} |
Parameters |
format: format text |
timestamp: date/time value |
amount: decimal number |
Description |
Subtracts amount years from timestamp |
Returns |
Decremented date in format |
Example call |
\{subtractYears(Ymd; 2016-04-22; 5)} returns 20110422 |
subtractMonths
Signature |
\{subtractMonths(format; timestamp; amount)} |
Parameters |
format: format text |
timestamp: date/time value |
amount: decimal number |
Description |
Subtracts amount months from timestamp |
Returns |
Decremented date in format |
Example call |
\{subtractMonths(Ymd; 2016-04-22; 5)} returns 20151122 |
subtractDays
Signature |
\{subtractDays(format; timestamp; amount)} |
Parameters |
format: format text |
timestamp: date/time value |
amount: decimal number |
Description |
Subtracts amount days from timestamp |
Returns |
Decremented date in format |
Example call |
\{subtractDays(Ymd; 2016-04-22; 5)} returns 20160417 |
subtractHours
| Signature | \{subtractHours(format; timestamp; amount)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
format: format text |
timestamp: date/time value |
amount: decimal number |
Description |
Subtracts mount hours from timestamp |
Returns |
Decremented date in format |
Example call |
\{subtractHours(Ymd H:i:s; 2016-04-22 12:37; 5)} returns 20160422 07:37:00 |
subtractMinutes
| Signature | \{subtractMinutes(format; timestamp; amount)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
format: format text |
timestamp: date/time value |
amount: decimal number |
Description |
Subtracts amount minutes from timestamp |
Returns |
Decremented date in format |
Example call |
\{subtractMinutes(Ymd H:i:s; 2016-04-22 12:37; 5)} returns 20160422 12:32:00 |
subtractSeconds
| Signature | \{subtractSeconds(format; timestamp; amount)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
format: format text |
timestamp: date/time value |
amount: decimal number |
Description |
Subtracts amount minutes from timestamp |
Returns |
Decremented date in format |
Example call |
\{subtractSeconds(Ymd H:i:s; 2016-04-22 12:37; 5)} returns 20160422 12:36:55 |
Control Functions
There is only one control function implemented in Calculate Fields so far, but this function ensures that the user can write very complex formulas with conditions. Since the functions can be embedded in each other, the user can write junctions with many branches.
ifThenElse
| Signature | \{ifThenElse(condition; trueBranch; falseBranch)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
condition: logical value |
trueBranch: any expression |
falseBranch: any expression |
Description |
Selects one of the two branches depending on condition |
Returns |
trueBranch if condition is true, falseBranch otherwise |
Example call |
\{ifThenElse(\{equal(1; 1)}; 1 equals 1; 1 not equals 1)} returns 1 equals 1 |
Counters
There are several counters implemented in Calculate Fields which can be used in various scenarios.
The counters sorted into two groups:
-
Global counters: Counters which are incremented every time an affected formula is evaluated
-
Daily counters: Counters which resets every day. (Starting from 1)
In this chapter we assume that the counters current value is 4, so the incremented value will be 5 with the given format.
GlobalCounter
| Signature | \{GlobalCounter(name; numberLength)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
name: any text |
numberLength: decimal number |
|
Description |
Increments and returns the counter for name with length numberLength |
Returns |
Counter with length numberLength |
Example call |
\{GlobalCounter(myName; 4)} returns 0005 |
GlobalCounterPerUser
| Signature | \{GlobalCounterPerUser(name; numberLength)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
name: any text |
numberLength: decimal number |
|
Description |
Increments and returns the counter for name for the user who creates the entity with length numberLength |
Returns |
Counter with length numberLength |
Example call |
\{GlobalCounterPerUser(myName; 3)} returns 005 |
GlobalCounterPerModule
| Signature | \{GlobalCounterPerModule(name; numberLength)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
name: any text |
numberLength: decimal number |
|
Description |
Increments and returns the counter for name for the module of the entity with length numberLength |
Returns |
Counter with length numberLength |
Example call |
\{GlobalCounterPerModule(myName; 2)} returns 05 |
GlobalCounterPerUserPerModule
| Signature | \{GlobalCounterPerUserPerModule(name; numberLength)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
name: any text |
numberLength: decimal number |
|
Description |
Increments and returns the counter for name for the user who creates the entity and for the module of the entity with length numberLength |
Returns |
Counter with length numberLength |
Example call |
\{GlobalCounterPerUserPerModule(myName; 1)} returns 5 |
DailyCounter
| Signature | \{DailyCounter(name; numberLength)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
name: any text |
numberLength: decimal number |
|
Description |
Increments and returns the counter for name with length numberLength |
Returns |
Counter with length numberLength, or if the counter is not incremented this day then 1 with length numberLength |
Example call |
\{DailyCounter(myName; 1)} returns 5 |
DailyCounterPerUser
| Signature | \{DailyCounterPerUser(name; numberLength)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
name: any text |
numberLength: decimal number |
|
Description |
Increments and returns the counter for name for the user who creates the entity with length numberLength |
Returns |
Counter with length numberLength, or if the counter is not incremented this day for this user then 1 with length numberLength |
Example call |
\{DailyCounter(myName; 1)} returns 5 |
DailyCounterPerModule
| Signature | \{DailyCounterPerModule(name; numberLength)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
name: any text |
numberLength: decimal number |
|
Description |
Increments and returns the counter for name for the module of the entity with length numberLength |
Returns |
Counter with length numberLength, or if the counter is not incremented this day for this module then 1 with length numberLength |
Example call |
\{DailyCounterPerModule(myName; 1)} returns 5 |
DailyCounterPerUserPerModule
| Signature | \{DailyCounterPerUserPerModule(name; numberLength)} |
|---|---|
Parameters |
name: any text |
numberLength: decimal number |
|
Description |
Increments and returns the counter for name for the user who creates the entity and for the module of the entity with length numberLength |
Returns |
Counter with length numberLength, or if the counter is not incremented this day for the user who creates the entity and for this module then 1 with length numberLength |
Example call |
\{DailyCounterPerUserPerModule(myName; 1)} returns 5 |
Example
Calculate monthly fee for an opportunity
Use Case
The user would like to calculate a monthly fee of an opportunity to a custom field by dividing the amount of the opportunity by the duration.
Setup
Our opportunities module has a dropdown field called Duration with values: (database value in brackets) 6 months [6], 1 year [12], 2 years [24]. There is also a currency field called Monthly.
Workflow
Go to WorkFlow module and create a new WorkFlow. Set the base options like the following:
Name: as you wish |
WorkFlow Module: Opportunities |
Status: Active |
Run: Only on save |
Run on: All records |
Repeated runs: checked |
We do not create any conditions, since we would like the WorkFlow to run on all opportunities.
Now, add an action and select Calculate Fields from the dropdown.
Then, add two fields from Opportunities as parameters. First, select Opportunity amount (amount) and add it as a parameter (it will be {P0}) then select Duration and the raw value option from the data type dropdown and add it as parameter two (it will be {P1}). There is no need to add any relational parameters for this formula.
Now, add a formula for the monthly field and fill the textbox with the following formula:
<pre style="white-space: pre; white-space: -moz-pre; white-space: -pre; white-space: -o-pre;"> \{divide({P0}; {P1})} </pre>
So the whole action should look like this:
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/images/1/13/ExampleCF_updated1.png</span>
Save the WorkFlow and create a new Opportunity:
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/images/5/5a/ExampleCF_orig2.png</span>
As you can see, we did not even add the monthly field to the EditView, because we don’t want to force the user to make calculations. Save the Opportunity and check the results on the DetailView:
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/images/4/4b/ExampleCF_orig3.png</span>
AOW Calculated Fields was contributed by diligent technology & business consulting GmbH
Removing Actions
You can remove Action Lines by clicking the 'X' button on the top right hand side of the Action.
Removing Field and Relationship Lines
You can remove Field and Relationship Lines by clicking the '-' button on the left hand side of the Action.
Advanced OpenWorkflow allows users to audit your processes. In the Detail View of each WorkFlow record there is a sub-panel called 'Processed Flows'.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image132.png</span>
This lists all the workflow processes which have been actioned including details on the record which actioned the flow, its status and the date it was created.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image133.png</span>
You can view this information at a higher level by clicking the 'View Process Audit' button within the module action bar. This will show all the processes that have run for all the WorkFlow records.
Customers to Target List
This tutorial will show you how to create a workflow process to add accounts who are customers to a Target-List when the record is created or modified. Set Up
-
Start by navigating to the WorkFlow module and clicking 'Create Workflow' from the the action bar.
-
Give your workflow a Name such as 'Populate Target List.
-
Select Accounts as the WorkFlow Module.
-
Ensure Repeated Runs is NOT selected and the Status is Active (This should be done by default). Optionally you can change the Assigned-To and add a Description.
Conditions
-
Create a new Condition Line by clicking the 'Add Condition' button.
-
Select 'Type' from the Field drop down.
-
Keep the Operator as 'Equals To' and the Type as 'Value'.
-
From the Value drop down select 'Customer'.
Once these steps have been completed the Conditions panel should look like this:
Actions
Create a new Action by clicking the 'Add Action' button.
-
Select 'Modify Record from the Select Action drop down list.
-
Using the Name field, give the action a name such as 'Add to Target List'
-
Add a Relationship Line by clicking the 'Add Relationship' button.
-
A drop down will appear above the 'Add Relationship' button. Select the relationship from this drop down box. In this case we are looking for 'Target Lists: Prospect List'
-
This will populate the rest of the line. Click the arrow button next to the relate field to select your target list.
Once these steps have been completed your Actions panel should look like this:
Cases Reminder
This tutorial will show you how to create a workflow process to notify the assigned user and then a particular manger user when an open Case has not been updated/modified within two days. Set Up
-
Start by navigating to the WorkFlow module and clicking 'Create Workflow' from the the action bar.
-
Give your workflow a Name such as 'Case Escalation'.
-
Select Cases as the WorkFlow Module.
-
Ensure Repeated Runs is NOT selected and the Status is Active (This should be done by default). Optionally you can change the Assigned-To and add a Description.
Once these steps have been completed the first panel should look like this:
Conditions
Create a new Condition Line by clicking the 'Add Condition' button.
Select 'Date Modified' from the Field drop down.
Change the Operator to 'Less Than or Equal To' and the Type to 'Date'
From the Value fields select 'Now', '-', '2', 'Days' in order.
Once these steps have been completed the Conditions panel should look like this:
Repeat step 1.
This time select 'Status' from the Field drop down.
Keep the Operator as 'Equals To' and change the Type to 'Multiple'.
From the Value multi-select field select any values which signify an open case
Once these steps have been completed the Conditions panel should look like this:
Actions
-
Create a new Action by clicking the 'Add Action' button.
-
Select 'Send Email from the Select Action down down list.
-
Give the action a Name such as 'Assigned User Reminder'
-
On the Email Line select 'Related Field' from the first drop down, 'Users: Assigned To' from the second drop down and a email template from the third drop down.
Once these steps have been completed the Actions panel should look like this:
\1. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 but change the name of this action to 'Manager Escalation Email'. 2. On the Email Line select 'User' and then select you who should receive the email. Select an email template from the third drop down. 3. When you are finished click 'Save' to create your workflow. Once these steps have been completed the Actions panel should look like this:
Follow Up Web Leads
This tutorial will show you how to create a workflow process to assign web Leads to a particular user from a particular role within SuiteCRM. This user will be chosen by round robin. The workflow process will also set a follow up call for one day after the Lead is created.
''Note: You can change the Sales role to any role found in your own system. ''
Set Up
-
Start by navigating to the WorkFlow module and clicking 'Create Workflow' from the the action bar.
-
Give your workflow a Name such as 'Web Lead Assignment and Follow Up'.
-
Select Leads as the WorkFlow Module.
-
Ensure Repeated Runs is NOT selected and the Status is Active (This should be done by default). Optionally you can change the Assigned-To and add a Description.
Once these steps have been completed the first panel should look like this:
Conditions
-
Create a new Condition Line by clicking the 'Add Condition' button.
-
Select 'Lead Source' from the Field drop down.
-
Keep the Operator as 'Equals To' and the Type as 'Value'
-
From the Value drop down select our condition, 'Web Site'
Once these steps have been completed the Conditions panel should look like this:
Actions
-
Create a new Action by clicking the 'Add Action' button.
-
Select 'Modify Record' from the Select Action down down list.
-
Using the Name field, give the action a name such as 'Assign to Sales'
-
Add a Field Line by clicking the 'Add Field' button.
-
Select 'Assigned-To' from the new drop down box that has appeared above the 'Add Field' button.
-
Change the middle drop down box from 'Value' to 'Round Robin'
-
Change the third drop down box from 'ALL Users' to 'ALL Users in Role'
-
Select from forth drop down box on the line 'Sales'.
Once these steps have been completed the Actions panel should look like this:
-
Now create a new Action by repeating step 1.
-
This time select 'Create Record' from the Select Action down down list.
-
Using the Name field, give the action a name such as 'Create Follow Up Call'.
-
From the Record Type drop down select 'Calls'.
-
Click the Add Field button to add a new field:
-
Select 'Subject' from the first drop down box. Leave the second drop down box as 'Value' then type the desired subject into the text field at the end.
-
Add another field, this time selecting the 'Start Date' from the first drop down box.
-
Change the second drop down box from 'Value' to 'Date'.
-
In the third drop down box select 'Now'. In the fourth drop down box on the line select '+'.
-
In the text box type '1' and in the drop down next to it select 'Days'.
-
Add another field, this time select 'Assigned-To', 'Field', 'Assigned-To' – This will relate the assigned User of the Lead to the Call.
-
You can add any other fields that you wish to include in the call at this stage. To finish click 'Save'.
Once these steps have been completed the Actions panel should look like this:
Advanced OpenPortal (AOP) is an enhancement to the case management module in SuiteCRM. There is also a Joomla component. AOP extends the core cases functionality and enhances mechanisms for contacts to update cases.
This module allows contacts held within SuiteCRM to:
-
Retrieve emails regarding updates to your Cases
-
Create Cases by emailing a defined support address
-
Update Cases by replying to Case emails
The module allows SuiteCRM users to: Add updates to Cases View a threaded log of all updates Retrieve email notifications when a contact adds an update to a Case Create Joomla users from a Contact The AOP Joomla component connects a Joomla site to the SuiteCRM instance. This allows SuiteCRM Contacts to: View a list of your Cases online Create new Cases online Reply to existing cases View your case details including a threaded log of all updates
Emails Advanced OpenPortal (AOP) uses the standard SuiteCRM functionality to send emails and create cases from inbound emails. Details on how to configure your outgoing email settings can be found here. Details on how to set up a group email account which will automatically generate cases can be found here.
System Administrator users can configure the settings by accessing the AOP settings through the admin panel.
Here you can enable or disable the AOP functionality, configure the Joomla URL, set the case distribution method, “email from” details and the different email templates.
To install the Joomla AOP component, use the Joomla Extension Manager. Once installed you must configure the SuiteCRM URL and a valid SuiteCRM username and password. This can be done by navigating to Components → advancedopen-portal.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image146.png</span>
Once you have configured the Joomla component you can add two new Main Menu items to your Joomla portal. These are:
-
List Cases - This shows a list of all Cases that the Contact has logged. This page also provides a search mechanism to filter cases.
-
New Case – This page will allow Contacts to create Cases in SuiteCRM from the Joomla portal.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image147.png</span>
Creating a Portal User
To create a Portal User a SuiteCRM User must first create a Contact for the Portal User using the standard SuiteCRM functionality. Once created you must click the 'Create Portal User' button. This can be found at the top left hand side of the Contact record Detail View.
Note: If you have action menus enabled the button will be within the action menu.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image148.png</span>
Once clicked, a new user will be created in Joomla and the Contact will be sent your portal credentials via email.
Creating a Case via the Portal
Portal Users can create a new Case by going to the New Case page on the portal website.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image149.png</span>
From here Portal Users can enter the details of your issue and attach any supporting documents. The dropdown values are dynamically pulled from the SuiteCRM instance and thus can be edited using the drop down editor tool within SuiteCRM.
Note: This feature does use the Joomla cache so please clear cache after an update has been made. When the case is ready to be logged, click the 'Save' button. This will create the Case within SuiteCRM.
Viewing Cases via the Portal
Portal Users can view a list of all your Cases using the List Cases page. This will also allow you to filter your search by State (All, Open or Closed) or by keyword. When searching by keyword it will search the 'Number', 'Subject', 'Status', 'Created' and 'Last Update' fields to find your result.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image150.png</span>
To view more information on the case and to add updates then Portal Users can click the 'Subject' of case.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image151.png</span>
From the case view Portal Users can view all the external updates added to the case from both Joomla and SuiteCRM. This is displayed in a threaded format showing who updated the case Any attached files to updates will also be accessible from this view. When a Portal User updates a case the assigned SuiteCRM user of the case will be notified by email.
Creating and Updating Cases from SuiteCRM
You can create and update Cases from SuiteCRM. To add an update to an existing record Users will add text to the 'Update' field within the case Detail View and click 'Save'. This will publish the update to the portal and send an email to any Contacts related to the Case.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image152.png</span>
If Users check the 'Internal Update' field then the update will appear in SuiteCRM only. It will not appear in Joomla and the Contact will not be emailed.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image153.png</span>
The Case Detail View will show the full threaded update log.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image154.png</span>
Additional Contacts can be added to the Case using the Contacts sub panel. All emails exchanged between the system, the contact and you will be attached to the History sub-panel. Any documents attached to the case using the Portal are held as Notes within this sub-panel.
Status Drop Down
Within Cases, you can specify both a State and a Status value. The State determines if the Case is Open or Closed. Depending on the State you will be offered different statuses. You can amend these statuses using the Dropdown Editor Tool within the Admin Developer Tools. When adding a new Status you must define the Item Name as “<parent dropdown item name>_ItemName” For example “Open_New” or “Closed_Rejected”. All values with an Item Name prefixed with “Open_” will show when the state is Open, similarly all with the prefix “Closed_” will show when the state is closed.
The Locations module is used to capture the venue/site information where events are held.
Creating Locations
\1. Hover over the Locations module on the navigation bar and select 'Create Location'.
\2. This will take you to the Edit View. Enter information into the appropriate fields, all required fields are marked with a red asterisk and must be completed prior to saving.
\3. Once the necessary information is entered, click "Save".
The Events module is used to capture information an particular event and send out invites to delegates. To view the Events held within the system click the 'Events' tab on the navigation bar. This will take you to the Events List View.
Creating Events
\1. Hover over the Events module on the navigation bar and select 'Create Event'.
\2. This will take you to the Edit View. Enter information into the appropriate fields, all required fields are marked with a red asterisk and must be completed prior to saving.
The following fields are found on the Events module:
-
Name – The name of the event
-
Start Date – The date and time of when the event starts
-
End Date – The date and time of when the event ends
-
Duration – The duration of the event. This will automatically change the end date or be altered automatically if the end date is changed.
-
Location – This is a relationship to the Event Locations module.
-
Budget – The budget for the event.
-
Email Invite Template – The Email Template that will be sent to associated Delegates.
-
Accept Redirect URL – The web page invitees should be redirected to after you accept an invite using the link provided in the Email Template.
-
Decline Redirect URL – The web page invitees should be redirected to after you decline an invite using the link provided in the Email Template.
-
Description – More information about the Event.
-
Assigned-To – Who the assigned user is for this event. This defaults to you who creates the event.
-
Created By – Which user created the event.
\3. Once the necessary information is entered, click "Save".
\1. Navigate to the Event Detail View.
\2. Navigate to the Delegates sub-panel found below the 'Event Details' panel.
\3. Click 'Select Delegates'. A list of options will appear.
\4. Select the appropriate option depending on who should be added to the Event.
-
Target List – Select a Target List of individuals to be associated to the event. All Targets, Leads and Contacts on this '''Target List '''will be added to the Event.
-
Targets – Select Targets to be associated to this Event.
-
Contacts – Select Contacts to be associated to this Event.
-
Leads – Select Leads to be associated to this Event.
-
Events – Select an Event to associate that Event’s delegates to this Event.
\5. Once an option has been chosen a new pop-up box will appear to search and select records from the module type that was chosen.
\6. The Delegates sub-panel will populate with the records selected.
\1. Navigate to the Delegates sub-panel.
\2. Choose action 'Send Invites'.
\3. This will send the email template selected in the 'Email Invite Template' to all Delegates who have the status 'Not Invited'
\4. Once selected the Delegate status will automatically update to 'Invited'.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image163.png</span>
\5. Choosing 'Resend Invites' will send invites out to all Delegates associated to the Event who have yet to respond.
\1. Navigate to the Delegates sub-panel.
\2. Select the Delegates that require your 'Accept Status' to be updated.
\3. Choose action 'Manage Acceptances'
\4. A list of options will appear. Select appropriate statuses:
\5. This will update the Delegates 'Accept Status' accordingly.
Note: Acceptance will my automatically updated if the Delegate chooses to accept using the link provided in the email template.
\1. Navigate to the Delegates sub-panel.
\2. Select the Delegates that require your attendance to be updated.
\3. Choose action 'Manage Delegates'
\4. A list of options will appear. Select the appropriate status; Invited, Not Invited, Attended or Not Attended.
\5. This will update the Delegates 'Status' accordingly.
Note: Acceptance will be automatically updated if the Delegate chooses to accept using the link provided in the email template.
Advanced Open Reports (AOR) is the reporting module within SuiteCRM. AOR can be accessed by clicking the 'Reports' link within the navigation menu. The reporting module allows users to report on CRM data from any module and has many features to display key information quickly.
To create a report, hover over the Reports module on the navigation bar and select 'Create Report'.
You will be presented with the report Edit View. To obtain a list of fields to add to the report, you have to select a module from the Report Module drop down.
Adding Fields
Once you have selected a Report Module, the list of fields available will display on the left panel. You can add fields to the 'Fields' section of the report by expanding the module you wish to select fields from and then drag and drop those fields into the field section.
Once you have added fields to a Report, there are multiple options to configure for those fields:
-
Display – True or false option. Allows you to specify whether this field should be displayed on the report, or hidden. Users may wish to add fields to perform a function/sort/group/total but may not wish to show this on the Report.<br/>
-
Link – True or false option. Allows you to make the field a link. Setting this option to true will hyperlink the field on the Detail View of the report, allowing you to click on the record. This will navigate you to the appropriate record. For example, linking the Opportunity Name will take you to the Detail View of that Opportunity.<br/>
-
Label – This is the label that will be displayed for the Column/Field on the Report. You can change the label from the default to any alphanumerical value.<br/>
-
Function - Provides five options: Count, Minimum, Maximum, Sum and Average. Allows you to perform functions on alphanumerical fields. Users may wish to calculate the average Opportunity Amount, or Count total Opportunities at a given Sales Stage.<br/>
-
Sort – Ascending or Descending. Allows you to select whether to sort the field/column descending or ascending. This can be done for all fields.<br/>
-
Group – True or false option. Allows you to group by this field. For example, you may wish to group by Sales Stage when reporting on an Opportunity.<br/>
-
Total – Provides three options: Count, Sum and Average. This allows users to perform total calculations on numerical fields. This is useful for financial reporting such as the total value of all Opportunities at a given Sales Stage.<br/>
Adding Conditions
Once you have added the fields to your Report, you can add condition lines to the Report. You can add conditions with the same procedure as adding fields. Using the drag and drop functionality, you can drag fields into the 'Conditions' area which will add the field and allow you to specify the condition for that field.
You can add charts to Reports. Charts provide a visual representation of the Report data to you. In some scenarios, or for particular users, visual aids such as charts can assist quicker analysis and better understanding.
Chart Types
There are six types of chart that the user can select to display Report data. These are:
-
Pie Chart
-
Bar Chart
-
Line Chart
-
Radar Chart
-
Stacked Bar
-
Grouped Bar
<br/> To add a chart, you can click the 'Add Chart' button, below the Conditions section within the Report Edit View.
Once you click add chart, you will be presented with the option to specify the following information:
-
Title – Allows the user to specify the title for the chart. This will show on the Detail View of the Report and also on the dashlet chart.
-
Type – This allows the user to select from one of the six chart types detailed above.
-
X Axis – Allows the user to select the column that should be used for the X Axis.
-
Y Axis – Allows the user to select the column that should be used for the Y Axis.
Once you have specified the chart details, save the Report. This will display the chart on the Detail View of the Report, below the list of records returned.
You can display a Report within a dashlet. It is possible to view multiple Report results as you can add multiple Report dashlets and select different Reports within each dashlet. To do this, add the Reports dashlet to your homepage.
Once you have added the dashlet, you need to select the Report you wish to display within the dashlet. To do this, click the pencil icon to edit the dashlet.
This allows the user to select the Report they wish to display within the dashlet.
Once you have selected the Report, click 'Save'. This will update your Reports dashlet to show the results of the Report.
Note: For full details on adding and managing dashlets, see the Dashlets section of this user guide.
You can specify to only select to display a chart for Report dashlets. To do this, edit your Report dashlet and select the 'Only use charts' option. This will then list all charts you have created for this Report.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image182.png</span>
Select a chart or multiple charts and click 'Save'. This will display the results in the chart selected.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image183.png</span>
You can schedule reports to be automatically run and emailed to the required Contact(s). This allows users to schedule reports to be sent to Managers or Team Leads either Daily, Weekly or Monthly. To create a Scheduled Report, you can click the 'Create' option within the Scheduled Reports Sub-panel on the Detail View of the Report. You can also select existing Scheduled Reports to relate to the Report.
Once you have clicked 'Create', there are options to set for the Scheduled Report. Give the Scheduled Report a relevant name. In this example, we will use 'Daily Opportunites Report for Managers'.
You can select the 'Advanced' option for report scheduling. This will provide a cron notation style option. This is best suited for System Administrators or advanced users.
Once you have entered a name and selected a schedule, click 'Save'.
Once you save the Scheduled Report record, this will display in the Scheduled Reports subpanel within the Detail View of the Report.
You can view when the Scheduled Report last ran by viewing the 'Last Run' column/field on the sub-panel. This shows in a date/time format.
<span class="plainlinks">https://suitecrm.com/wiki/media/image189.png</span>
To reschedule a Call, you can click the 'Reschedule' button on the Detail View of a Call which has been defined as Outbound and Planned.
Clicking the Reschedule button will produce a pop up or dialogue box up. This enables users to set the date and time for the rescheduled Call.
You can also select a reason for the incomplete/unsuccessful Call from the drop down list. Once the details have been defined, click the 'Save' button to save the Call.
Once Saved, the Call is rescheduled for the new date and time. you can view all Call Reschedule history by clicking the 'Reschedule' tab on the Calls Detail View.
In this chapter we have covered the functionality of the advanced modules. These modules have a very specific purpose - enabling users to improve processes and efficiently report on and manage data.
In the next chapter, we will cover some third party modules which are part of the SuiteCRM product. These third party modules provide additional functionality to you such as teams and location mapping.
Security Suite allows control of what users can access. It allows restricting sensitive data in SuiteCRM to specific teams (groups). SecuritySuite comes loaded with options which allow you to configure it to meet your exact needs. Choose from a number of automatic assignment options to ensure that your users can always access the data that you need.
System Administrators can add groups and roles or set up Security Groups preferences in Security Suite Settings found at the top of the Admin page.
System Administrators can allow non-admin users to add groups to records. This can be done by doing the following steps:
-
Navigate to Configure Tabs. Add Security Groups to the displayed tabs.
-
Run Repair Roles, within Admin→Repair, to be able to assign rights to Security Groups.
-
Edit role(s) to Enable Security Groups Management.
-
Edit role(s) to set List to All or Group for Security Groups Management as desired.
SecuritySuite is very configurable and allows for support near every possible situation. Because of that there may be a learning curve and some time required to understand what each option does and how it may be used for your specific needs. You can find the settings page by going to Admin→SecuritySuite Settings.
There are 3 key steps to setting up Groups so that you work correctly.
-
Create a group for each team of users and add the appropriate users to the group.
-
Create a role and select Group for the access level for every appropriate cell in the grid. Assign that role to each group
-
Add the groups to records in your SuiteCRM instance. You can use the Mass Assign on the List View to do this. Going forward the groups will automatically inherit based on your SecuritySuite Settings. You can also use logic hooks, workflow, or do a direct database insert into the securitygroups_records table if doing a one-time initial setup.
If your users should only typically see their own records then the role assigned to the group would be configured to have Owner only rights. A manager who is a part of the group, but who should see be able to see all records in the group would have a role directly assigned to you record that gives Group access.
For more help check out:
Roles determine what a user can do with a record once they have access to it.
-
Create the roles
-
Edit role(s) to Enable Security Groups Management
-
Edit role(s) to set List to All or Group for Security Groups Management as desired
Although SecuritySuite can handle any organizational structure, the most common scenario it is used for is one where the owner can sell everything, managers can see both their own records and those of their team, and team members can only see their own records.
This company has 2 sales teams; East and West. The owner, Jill, should be able to see everything. The East Sales team is lead by Will and Sarah leads the West Sales team. Both of them should see everything just in your own respective teams. The rest of the Sales Reps in each teams should only be allowed to see your own records.
-
Create a group called East Sales
-
Add Will and the Sales Reps
-
Create a group called West Sales
-
Add Sarah and the Sales Reps
-
Create a role called Everything and set the rights to All.Tips and Tricks: Click the header in any column on the role grid and you can set the rights for the whole column at one time
-
Assign the Everything role directly to Jill’s user account
-
Create a role called Group Only and set the rights for everything to Group
-
Assign the Group role directly to Will and Sarah
-
Create a role called Owner Only and set the rights for everything to Owner
-
Assign the Owner Only role to the East Sales and West Sales groups
This instance already has some existing Leads so we will assign them to the appropriate groups.
-
Go to the Leads List View and search for the Leads that should belong to the East Sales group
-
Check the appropriate Leads, in the Mass Assign panel choose East Sales, and click "Assign"
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Repeat for the West Sales team
Note: Going forward the groups will be automatically inherited by any Calls, Contacts, Notes, etc that get added based on the SecuritySuite Settings that are configured. If the SuiteCRM instance is already loaded with lots of data at the time of starting with SecuritySuite then there may be some initial work to be done to add those groups to the related records. The Mass Assign functionality on the List View can be used or direct database insertion into the securitygroups_records table. See existing data in that table for how to format the data. This will require SQL knowledge if you want to go that route.
These settings determine how SecuritySuite functions. In the Group Inheritance Rules panel the defaults of "Inherit from Created By User", "Inherit from Assigned To User", and "Inherit from Parent Record" will work perfectly in this scenario.
Any Lead that gets created will automatically have groups assigned to it based on who created it and who gets assigned to it. If a Call is created for a Lead then the Call will inherit the groups from the Lead record (parent record) along with inheriting the groups from the created by user and the assigned to user.
Another key setting is "Strict Rights". In the scenario above the default settings will cause the links on the List View for the team Leads to show with no link for records that are assigned to your group. In many cases you will want to uncheck "Strict Rights" so that you can assign groups in the manner described in this doc.
The hardest part is always the initial setup. Once you have things configured and figured out it will just run on its own.
Have a more complicated structure? Apply the same principles here for each additional level of hierarchy that you may have. The key is to create a group at the lowest levels of the structure and then work your way back up.
SuiteCRM System Administrators can configure many advanced options for Security Suite. This allows you to control various access/rights, inheriting of records, filters and more.
If a user is a member of several groups only the respective rights from the group assigned to the current record are used.
When creating a new user show the SecurityGroups popup to assign you to a group(s).
If any role is assigned directly to a user that role should take precedence over any group roles.
When a record is created by a user in more than one group popup a group selection screen otherwise inherit that one group. Inheritance rules will only be used for non-user created records (e.g. Workflows, etc).
Adds a panel to a record creation screen if a user is a member of more than one inheritable group that allows a user to select one or more groups that you belongs to that should be associated with the newly created record. If a user is in just one group the normal inheritance rules will instead be applied.
Note: The new record will still inherit from the Assigned To user or Parent record if these options are set. This setting only overrides the Created By setting.
By default users can see when other users are busy on the Shared Calendar. Even if you doesn’t have rights to the meeting, call, etc. It will display on the calendar, but you cannot view more details unless you have rights to that specific calendar item. By setting this option you cannot see these items on the Shared Calendar; only items that you actually has rights to.
The record will inherit all the groups of you assigned to the record. Other groups assigned to the record will NOT be removed.
e.g. If a case is created for a contact the case will inherit the groups associated with the contact.
Set groups that should always be attached when a specific module is created.
JJW Maps provides mapping functionality for SuiteCRM. JJW Maps is a third party module, provided by JJW Design.
Documentation and releases are kept up to date on the JJW Maps project page.
At SalesAgility we are advocates of Open Source. As such please do not contact us directly via email or phone for SuiteCRM support. Instead please use our support forum. By using the forum the knowledge is shared with everyone in the community. Our developers answer questions on the forum daily but it also gives the other members of the community the opportunity to contribute. If you would like SalesAgility to customise SuiteCRM specifically for your needs, or to provide a hosted and supported CRM solution, then please use our contact form.
In this guide we have covered various areas of SuiteCRM from the basics of logging in to the complexity of creating automated workflow processes. This guide is a resource to visually assist users in maximising your use of SuiteCRM. You can also visit the SuiteCRM Community Forums where there are various topics and a wealth of knowledge provided by the SuiteCRM team and contributing community members.
