PDXpert PLM Software
On-line Help Guide

This help topic describes the current PDXpert PLM release. Earlier releases may be different. To view your release's version of this topic, open PDXpert and press the F1 key or select the Help menu.

Roles

Collection Explorer ◢ Places/Organization/Persons group ◢ Roles collection

Other users should not be using the system while you're working. Users (including you) may not see changes to their assigned role until the next time they log into PDXpert.

Purpose §

Specifies the permissions users have for accessing information, which should correspond to their job responsibilities. A role may be given to any number of users, and each user has exactly one role.

Where used §

To specify permissions to user accounts in the User Management list.

Data fields §

General §

Name §
This is the complete name for the role.
Description §
This gives the role and its function.
Active: users can select
Default member of collection
Permanent member of collection §
See the Managing collections: Common attributes help topic.
Collections/Rules administrator §
An administrator manages the Collections and Rules. If the Tools menu: Administrator Override command is marked and the role also permits access to documents, parts and changes, the administrator can modify many attributes of items after they've been released.
Marking this checkbox marks all View and Edit settings in the Collections page, which can then be edited individually.
It's a good idea to have an administrator role assigned to two or more users. Set one administrator as the Super Administrator.
Allow Transforms §

When marked, the Report/Export Wizard and other custom report, DataGrid and table export functions can be used.

When cleared, the Report/Export Wizard is not shown on the Tools menu. Custom report, DataGrid and table export functions cannot be used.

Regardless of this setting, users can always use the standard reports and their "export as file" functions.

Allow local views on user computer §

When enabled, the Enable local views option can be enabled in the user's Tools ◢ User Settings... menu.

Restrict access to read-only §
This checkbox controls whether a full-function user account can change data. When marked, a full-function user account cannot add or edit items, add file attachments, approve change forms, or act as an administrator. Viewing permissions are controlled by the other role permissions.
Marking this checkbox disables all Manage settings in the Collections page.

Documents §

View pending §
The role has access to documents that have not yet been released.
View released §
The role has access to documents that have been released, and are not canceled.
View canceled §
The role has access to documents that have been canceled.
Create new §
The role can add new documents, edit documents, and be a trustee for those documents.
Is an analyst §
A document analyst can change trustees, be the trustee for any document, and manage changes that affect documents.

Parts §

View pending §
The role has access to parts that have not yet been released.
View released §
The role has access to parts that have been released, and are not canceled.
View canceled §
The role has access to parts that have been canceled.
Create new §
The role can add new parts, edit documents, and be a trustee for those parts.
Is an analyst §
A part analyst can change trustees, be the trustee for any part, and manage changes that affect parts.

Change forms §

To view change forms, the Roles member must also allow View items owned by: All organizations.

View unreleased §
The role has access to changes that have not yet been released, or have been canceled or rejected.
View released §
The role has access to changes that have been released or completed.
Create new §
The role can add (originate) new changes and submit them for review.
Submitted items can be edited §

An item's Trustee edits an item's pending iteration before it's added to an executing change form, and while the executing change is at Originated state.

When this setting is not marked, after an item's executing change is submitted, only analysts can edit the item iteration.

When this setting is marked, the trustee may edit the affected iteration while its executing change form is at Submitted state. While helpful when the item trustee is not the change form's originator, it requires close communication between trustees and the change analyst.

This setting doesn't affect users whose role includes Is an analyst because an analyst can always edit items on a submitted change.

This value is always enabled for the super administrator, regardless of the Administrator Override menu setting.

View items owned by §

User's organization §

Users can always view items when the item's Owner matches their organization.

User's and home organizations §

When this option is selected, users can view items owned by the home organization, along with their own organization's items.

All organizations §

When this option is selected, users can view items owned by the home organization and all partner organizations.

Each user is assigned to an organization, which is given by the Persons collection member's Organization selection. When the user is in the home organization, then the options User's organization and User's and home organizations are equivalent.

Setting a permission other than All organizations may hide items in:

  • Search results

  • A part Sources list

  • A part or document References list

  • A part or document PDX package export

  • Built-in reports

Edit after first release §

Some item data is locked at the first release, and cannot be changed on later iterations. When the following options are marked, the data can be changed after the first release.

Disabling these options can remind administrators of your preferred practice, but administrators are never completely blocked:

  • Any administrator can use the Batch Importer tool or edit their own Roles collection member to change this data.

  • The Super Administrator can edit these item data fields, regardless of the setting. Set these options for other administrator roles that use the Tools menu ➔ Administrator Override setting.

Item description §

A document title or part name can be changed after the first iteration has been released. The user must be the item's trustee or an analyst for the item.

Accepted configuration management practice is to lock the original item name after the first release. Documents and item catalogs may use the original name, and downstream systems (such as production and sales) may not update item descriptions.

Custom attributes §

Attributes shown on a document or part Custom page can be changed after the first iteration has been released. The user must be the item's trustee, an analyst or a member of the item's Product Team.

If a custom attribute value is used to generate the original item name, then consider whether to also mark the Item description to allow a different name.

Mass and materials §

A part's mass and materials list can be changed after the first iteration has been released. The user must be the item's trustee, an analyst or a member of the item's Product Team.

For regulatory reporting (like RoHS compliance), a non-interchangeable change to the Materials list normally requires a new part number, rather than revising the list. For changes that don't affect regulatory report results, such as adding non-regulated substances, the current part can be updated after release.

Collections §

Restrict roles that can add or change members of the Transforms collection. Transforms directly access your database, and inexperienced or malicious users can damage or destroy your data.

The role can view or edit any collection within the Collection Explorer. Most users should be allowed to view members of various collections and, as needed, use the collections as a drag-and-drop source (for example, to assign persons to tasks). Some non-administrative users may be allowed to manage selected collections, such as Organizations (e.g., to add new suppliers), Views (for CAD users) and Units of Measure.

Marking an Edit checkbox marks the related View checkbox. Clearing a View checkbox clears the related Edit checkbox.

Setup §

A person who belongs to a reviewing group on an executing change form has permission to view the change form and its affected items, expanding the viewing permissions of the person's assigned role. See the Groups collection: Group reviewer permission help topic.

Throughout this user help guide:

  • An analyst is specified by marking Changes: Create new, as well as Documents: Is an analyst and/or Parts: Is an analyst. Analysts may be specialized by item class:

    • A document analyst has Documents: Is an analyst marked.

    • A part analyst has Parts: Is an analyst marked.

    • A system analyst has both Documents: Is an analyst and Parts: Is an analyst marked.

  • An administrator is specified by marking Rules/Collections administrator.

A reviewer should be given a role where, as a minimum, the related View pending and View released are marked. This allows review of items affected by the change form, as well as related items (e.g., unchanged items on an assembly's BOM).

Typically, users employed by the home organization can view items owned by all organizations.

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