Getting Started with Desktops

This article will help users to understand what a desktop is and how to create and utilize them using TDNext and TDAdmin. The user must have access to the TDNext interface. To manage and distribute desktops and desktop templates the user must have access to TDAdmin.

Overview

A Desktop is an information display tool within TDNext that provides visual insights of key performance indicators (KPI), metrics and key data points to monitor the health of the organization’s work as it relates to the user. The TeamDynamix Desktops are customizable and can include numerous modules and reports in a variety of layouts.

There are two types of Desktop in the TeamDynamix system, the main Desktop, and the application-level Desktop. The main Desktop is what appears when you initially log into TDNext, and you can add content modules from any of the applications you have access to. The application-level Desktop is accessible from within an application, and the only modules available are relevant to that application.

In most Desktop modules, the content does not refresh automatically; you must click the Refresh icon in the top right of each module. Modules related to feeds, like My Feed or Projects Feed are an exception and refresh automatically.

Features

• Out-of-the-box Desktop modules, modules for custom reports, and other types of Desktop modules that display information from different parts of the system can be pulled into Desktops.

• Desktop Templates are preconfigured desktops that can be built by administrators, and then applied to users who can use them as a starting point to create their own Desktops.
• Desktops can be made public so that people anyone with the link can access them. This can only be accomplished at the user level. Desktops cannot be made public from within the TDAdmin interface.

Where to Find This

This feature appears mainly in the TDAdmin and TDNext interfaces. Public Desktops are displayed in TDClient.

TDAdmin is where administrators build out Desktop Templates and can assign them to users as Desktops. TDNext is where users can interact with those desktops, modify them, or create new desktops for themselves. 

Navigate to TDAdmin, TDNext, and TDClient following these paths:

• TDAdmin: Sign in directly to the TDAdmin portal with the “Administrators” button at your main TeamDynamix URL, or access your TDNext interface, select the waffle menu button, choose Admin, then go to Desktop Templates.
• TDNext: Sign in to your TDNext interface using the “Users” button at your main TeamDynamix URL or with the direct URL for your TDNext interface.
• TDClient: Sign in to your TDClient interface using the “Client Portal” button at your main TeamDynamix URL, access TDNext and select your Client Portal from the waffle menu, or with the direct URL for your TDClient interface.

Where to Start

Setting Up the Desktop

The below instructions apply to both the main Desktop and the application Desktops unless otherwise noted.

To customize the layout of the modules displayed in each Desktop:

1. Log into TDNext and view the main Desktop
   or
   Log into TDNext and click the applications menu, then click the desired application.
2. Click the Edit Desktop or Edit [Application Name] Desktop button.
3. Click the Edit Layout button and select the layout diagram representing the way you’d like your Desktop to appear.
4. From the Available Content pane, drag content modules to the columns. Drag and drop modules within the columns to rearrange them.

5. Click the Save button and close the pop-up.
6. On the Desktop, click the Refresh link to see your changes.

Editing the Desktop from the GUI

The following changes can be made when viewing the Desktops without clicking Edit Desktop.

To rearrange modules:

1. With a Desktop open, hover over the header of a module until the cursor turns to the move icon (a plus with arrows at the ends).
2. Click and drag the module header to a new spot.

Standard modules have settings that can be changed and display a gear icon on the right side of the header. Click the icon to update some of the widget content parameters, then click Save.

Custom report modules display an information icon on the right side of the header. Click the icon to open the custom report information and actions.

Setting Up Features Unique to the Main Desktop

The main Desktop can have multiple Desktops that can be switched between, and any of these Desktops can be set as the default that opens on load.

To add an additional Desktop:

1. On the main Desktop, click the + New Desktop button.
2. Name the Desktop and click the Save button.
3. Build the Desktop following the steps 2-4 above.
4. To make the new Desktop the default, click the Details tab.
5. Click the Set as Default button.
6. Click the Save button and close the pop-up.
7. On the Desktop, click the Refresh link to see your changes.

To switch between Desktops, click the dropdown menu at the top-right of the toolbar.

Publishing a Desktop for Other Users to View

You might wish to share certain metrics with a non-TeamDynamix group of users. To do this, you’d need to mark this Desktop as published so it is publicly accessible without requiring a TeamDynamix sign on. Desktops can only be published by TDNext users with an Enterprise license & Analysis application access. A published Desktop’s information is view only.

To publish a Desktop:

1. Sign into TDNext.
2. Go to the main Desktop app/tab.
3. Select the Desktop to be shared in the dropdown at the top right of the toolbar.
4. Click the Edit Desktop link in the toolbar.
5. In the Edit Desktop pop-up that appears, click the Details tab.
6. Click the Public button. The expiration date and URL will appear.
   1. You can either choose a date for this desktop to no longer be public, or leave the expiration field blank to make it public until updated to not be public.
7. Click the Save button and close the pop-up.

Creating a Desktop for Others to Use

The only users who can create shareable Desktops are administrators. They can create a Desktop Template and assign it to any number of users in the system. When they share a desktop, they can choose to link it to the Desktop Template. If they do, that desktop cannot be edited in TDNext and will automatically reflect any changes made to the desktop template in TDAdmin. 

If a non-administrator would like to share a Desktop configuration with others, they can take a screenshot or print out a hard copy and ask the administrator to re-create it as a Desktop template. The template can then be shared with specified users or groups. 

How to create a Desktop Template and Assign it as a Linked Desktop

1. Sign in to TDAdmin
2. Navigate to TDAdmin > Desktop Templates > Desktop Templates
3. Click +New to create a new template
4. Name it and save it 
5. Choose your layout and add all your content
6. Save the desktop
7. Head to TDAdmin > Users & Roles > Users
8. Open the user you want to give the desktop to
9. Click on the Desktop tab on their user record
10. Click +New and choose your template from the template list
11. IF YOU WANT TO KEEP CONTROL ON THE DESKTOP LEAVE THE "LINKED" BUTTON CHECKED
    • If you do leave it checked the desktop content will be locked so the person cannot add/remove content on that desktop
    • A linked desktop will also take cascaded changes from the parent template if changes are made in the future
    • If you uncheck the box or choose to "unlink" the desktop after it is created it cannot be made linked again, a new desktop must be assigned as linked
    • If you give the desktop as "unlinked" it will be a single snapshot that the technician can add/remove content on independent of the parent template; changes to the parent template WILL NOT change the unlinked desktop in the future and an unlinked desktop cannot be set as linked again
12. Click save; the desktop will now be available to the technician in TDNext
13. Technicians can still create their own custom desktops even if you give them a desktop template

Setting up a Desktop to Auto-Refresh

Desktops may be set to automatically refresh.  This is not enabled by default and users must set this manually.  

To enable refresh on an existing Desktop:

1. Sign into TDNext.
2. Go to the main Desktop app/tab.
3. Select the Desktop to be shared in the dropdown at the top right of the toolbar.
4. Click the Edit Desktop link in the toolbar.
5. In the Edit Desktop pop-up that appears, click the Details tab.
6. Click the Auto-Refresh check box.
7. Click the Save button and close the pop-up.

Gotchas & Pitfalls

• Desktop modules do not refresh automatically; you must click the Refresh icon in the top right of each module or set up the Auto-Refresh option against the Desktop. The one notable exception to this rule are the widgets related to feeds, like My Feed or Projects Feed. These do automatically refresh, but they are the only items which do.
• Public desktops may only be created by users that have access to Analysis