Companies, Modules, Programs, and Reports
Companies
Before any broad discussion of the Viewpoint interface, it is important to note that Viewpoint is built to allow multiple businesses and legal entities to operate in the same umbrella application. The Synergy Group of Companies includes several core operating companies (Synergy Group of Companies, Synergy Projects, Morley Hoppner, and Innerspaces), and several project specific holding companies that have been set up for a short duration on a single project.
Each of these legal entities is its own "company" in Viewpoint with a separate set of accounting books and independent tax filing requirements. The Viewpoint application interface will remain exactly the same regardless of the company you are working in. When you change the Company drop down, you will be working with the set of books related to the company you chose. You can only ever work in one company at a time.
Modules
The Viewpoint application is broken down into three core interface components - modules, reports, and programs.
Modules are high level groupings of features and each module shows up on the main tree in the left side of the application. Commonly used modules are:
- Project Management and Job Cost (For project managers)
- Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Payroll (for project accountants)
When expanded, each module is contains two sub-folders - Programs and Reports
Programs
Programs provide the interface for adding and editing data that is saved within Viewpoint. Some programs are very targeted towards a specific task or data table (example - PM Phase Codes deals specifically with the creation and management of project cost centers), while others will cover several different job functions in one place (example - PM Projects includes areas to manage phase codes, contract items, general project information, and contact information)
Viewpoint uses a system of user level permissions set up by the company administrator. These permissions are generally created based on the job title of the individual user. Viewpoint permissions restrict which programs are accessible to you - programs in black are accessible, programs in grey are not. If there is a program that you require access to, please contact the Viewpoint administrator in your office to gain access.
Reports
The other subfolder in each module is the Reports folder. Reports are used to extract and format data into a coherent document that can be used outside of the application in the day-to-day needs of the business. Each report available to a module produces very specifics insights about a certain facet of the project. Reports generally have a pop-up that allows you to set up parameters on data ranges to include, or specific formatting options.
There are many reports available across the system, and most are used infrequently (if at all). The key reports for each job function are highlighted in the relevant sections of this guide. Similar to the programs list permissions restrict which programs are accessible to you - programs in black are accessible, programs in grey are not.