Creating A Case, Person or Item
From TrackerProducts Wiki
Creating a case / person / item is one of most fundamental and important areas of the Tracker software system. This section will guide you through the basic setup required to get your system off the ground.
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Creating a Case
>> Quick Menu > New Case
Users should begin by creating a case. Persons and items can only be entered after a case has been created.
From the Quick Menu click the Add Case # icon. You will be redirected to a screen that asks you to enter a valid case #.
After a case # is entered, Tracker software performs a check to make sure that the case # entered does not already exist. This safety feature prevents case duplication. Since everything in the system is based around a case #, it is essential that there only be one of each number. If you intended to enter a new item instead of a case, the error screen below provides direct access to make that entry.
If the case # is valid and not a duplicate, you will be redirected to the Case Submission screen.
Fields on Create Case Page
Location
This feature is only enabled for users with multiple locations. If your organization has more than one location and you have access to other agencies, use the drop down menu to switch the availble users in the Submitted For menu.
Submitted For
This is typically known as the case officer or the person in charge of the case. Entering this option accurately is extremely important because all permissions to a case are based on the user that is listed in Submitted For.
(Note: Only users with power status or better will see the Submitted For menu. This drop down menu allows a user with these credentials to assign or change a case manager from any available user. Users with the status "Add Item Only" do not have the option to select another case officer. When a user with this level of clearance creates a new case, they are automatically assigned the case manager position. Users with the "Add Item Only" status will have access to the permissions link (discussed in the next section). "Add Item Only" users that create a case will be, by default, able to create more items in that case or view that case at a later date. Other users with the "Add Item Only" status users must be granted access to this case to perform the same functions.)
Permissions
This link produces a popup window where any user that creates a case can assign permission to that case to other users. Permission grants a user access to the details of that case. If necessary, a power user or administration can add to or edit this list at a later time.
Other Fields
There are several other fields on the Case Submission Form that allow users to enter details about the new case. Deciding on how many details to include is often one of the challenging steps to maximizing Tracker's easy-to-use software.
- Fields with a blue background are required.
- Fields with a white background are not required.
Buttons *Save & Add Person - This button will submit the case information on the screen and take you to a new section to create a Person attached to the Case. *Save & Add Item – This button will submit the case information on the screen, skip the person entry, and take you to the section where an item can be created. (Note: It's possible to create a case without entering Person or Item information. A user can enter this information later.) *Save & Go To Quick Menu– This button will submit the case information on the screen and return to the Quick Menu. Persons and/or items will need to be added later. *Cancel Button – This button will cancel the current entry and send you back to the Quick Menu.
Creating A Person
>> Quick Menu > New Person to Existing Case
Adding a person to a case is typically the second step when creating a case. Access this screen by creating a case and adding a person or clicking the New Person to Existing Case # on the Quick Menu.
(Note: You can add as many persons to a case as you want.)
Fields on the New Person Screen
Type
The type drop down menu will allow you to select the type of person that you are creating. The values in this drop down menu can be modified in system customization. Users often choose labels like suspect, victim, or contact for this menu.
Name
Enter the person's name or agency name in the field.
Other Fields
The remaining fields are all descriptive fields for the person that is being entered.
Buttons on the New Person Screen
- Save & Create New Person – After you have entered all the information on the current person, this option creates an additional person attached to this case.
- Save & Duplicate to New Person – After you have entered all the information on the current user, this option creates another person in the system that is based on the person just entered.
- Save & Go to Quick Menu – This button saves the information you just entered about the person and returns the user to the Quick Menu.
- Save Person and Add Item - After you have entered all identifying information about the current person, this option allows you to advance to the Items screen.
Creating An Item
>> Quick Menu > New Item to Existing Case #
The final and most important step in creating a new case is the Add Items process.
Access this screen after you Create a Person in a case or by clicking the New Item to Existing Case # on the Quick Menu. (Note: You can add as many items to a case as you want.)
Fields on the New Item Screen
Category
This drop down menu allows you to select a category for the item you are entering.
Sub Category
Depending on how your system is customized, when selecting a category, you may be presented with a set of sub category fields. The additional fields are based on the category that is selected.
Other Fields
Between the category and agency option are other basic fields that have been enabled by your administrator.
Agency
This feature is only enabled if your organization has multiple locations entered into the system. The drop down menu allows you to change the values that are shown in the Temporary Location menu.
Temporary Location
This drop down menu allows the user to select a temporary location where an item is being stored. Since most users don’t have access to the storage room, they will select a temporary locker where an item is being held until it can be completely checked-in to the system.
(Note: If the user entering an item does have access to the storage room, there is a system switch that can change this drop down menu from temporary locations to permanent locations.)
Suggestion: Any place that an item is being held is a location. In some cases this may be a person’s desk. In some instances, items are entered into the system and then placed on the adminastrator's desk. If this is your procedure, that administrator's desk should be entered into the system as a temporary location.
- Sent to Lab - This is for agencies that use a template lab form for items going to a lab. Our support group can duplicate the form in our system so that you can tag items for lab and then print the form out of the system.
- Item Belongs To – This drop down menu allows you to assign the item to a particular person that is in the case. The first option will always be case which means that the item is not assigned to a person in the case. The other options will be any person that is attached to the case.
Buttons on the New Item Page
- Save & Create New Item – This button will save the current item and allow you to add more items to the existing case.
- Save & Duplicate to New Item – This button will allow you to add a new item to a case while duplicating the current info to that new item. See duplicating items for more information on this process.
- Save & Go to Print Forms – By pressing the Save and Print Forms button, the current item will be saved in the system and you will be re-directed to the Forms page.
