Sidebar - FAQs

Overview:

There are a lot of features in COGS-Well for setup, maintenance, data entry, listings, and reports. The Sidebar Menu "Sidebar" simplifies navigation between these features. Please note that the Main Menu located across the top of the Dashboard remains available when the Sidebar is enabled.

The Sidebar:

When a User logs into COGS-Well, the Sidebar is displayed vertically on the left side of the Dashboard. An example of the Sidebar is shown below:

Available Menu Options and Features: The Menu Options and features in the Sidebar will automatically configure to the features enabled in your Company Settings and the User Level for the User that has logged in.

For example, if ordering or transfers are not enabled in your company settings, they will not show up as menu options on the Sidebar. In addition, menu options and features available to a System Administrator user level will not show up on the sidebar for a Manager user level.

Scroll Down: If the Menu Options on the Sidebar exceed the display space, you can use the scrollbar on the right side of the Sidebar or the scroll wheel on your mouse to scroll down to more Menu Options.

Accessing Features (sub-menus): The features for each Menu Option on the Sidebar are accessed by clicking on a Menu Option. This will cause the Menu Option to open and display the features in its sub-menu. You can click on a feature to select it. In the below example we have clicked on the "Order" Menu Option on the Sidebar to display its sub-menu features:

Search: The search option at the top of the Sidebar is a helpful tool that is not available on the Main Menu. It enables you to type in the name of a feature to quickly find that feature. In the below example, we have typed "count" in the search option and the features associated with count are displayed:

Features and Processes: Each Menu Option on the Sidebar includes features for a common process such as counting inventory, ordering, or managing inventory items. This approach puts all of the features associated with a common process on the same sub-menu. An example of the "Count" Menu Option with the features on its sub-menu is displayed below:

In the above example, the features for a Count Worksheet, entering and closing a Count, and Extention Reports are included on the same sub-menu. This minimizes the need for navigation through multiple menu options when performing an inventory count. It can also serve as a reminder for the tasks associated with a count for a User such as a Manager.

Sub-Menus: Unlike the COGS-Well Main Menu, the Sidebar Menu Options only go one sub-level deep. There are also fewer features under each Menu Option. This simplification results because a vertical menu does not have the same space limitation that a horizontal menu has.

Open and Close the Sidebar: The Sidebar will close if you access a feature or mouse away from the Sidebar for more than one second. This close occurs to maximize the work or viewing space on your display. When the Sidebar is closed, it can easily be reopened by hovering over the reopen icon as shown in the example below:

Pin the Sidebar: If you prefer the Sidebar to stay open, you can "pin" it to stay open (the default is "unpinned"). When the Sidebar is open there is a pin icon at the top right of the menu. Click on the pin to pin the Sidebar open. An example is shown below:

Manage and Maintain Menu Options: The Menu Options with features for Managing and Maintaining your COGS-Well database are below the operational Menu Options on the Sidebar. For the below example, we have scrolled down the Sidebar to the Manage and Maintain Menu Options:

The Manage and Maintain features are used primarily for setting up, managing, or making changes to the items in your database. The Manage and Maintain Menu Options a User will have access to are based on their User Level. An example of the Manage Inventory Items Menu Option is shown below:

Initial Setup: Inventory Items, Inventory Departments, Inventory Categories, Company Settings, GL Accounts, Sites, System Administrators, Sales Items, Sales Departments, and Sales Categories, are initially set up for you by the COGS-Well Implementation team. They can be viewed or modified using the Management and Maintain Menu Options and features.

Enabling the Sidebar:

If you are a System Administrator and you and your Users do not see the Sidebar, then you can enable it for all of your Users (existing and new) on the General Tab in your Company Settings. In Company Settings, use the drop-down for the Primary sidebar menu to select "Default Sidebar Menu (Global)". An example is shown below:

Assigning the Sidebar to Limited Users:

If you only want some of your Users to have access to the Sidebar, then you should not enable it in your Company Settings. Instead, you can assign the Default Sidebar Menu to a User via the User Setup feature. To access User Setup, navigate to Company Settings and then select Users. An example of the User Setup display is below:

Administrators:

Most of the features in the Main Menu for Tools, and all of the features for Accounting Setup and Standard Exports can only be accessed via the Main Navigation Menu (they are not included in the Sidebar). Company, Change Password, Report Books, and Accounting Export features are available in the Sidebar. All item-related setup and maintenance features are also on the Sidebar.

Summary:

The Sidebar is easier and more efficient for many Users to learn and navigate. However, If you prefer to use the Main Menu, it is still available when the Sidebar is enabled.

Like the Main Menu, the Sidebar configures to only include features that are enabled in your Company Settings and the User Level assigned to the User who is viewing the Sidebar.

If you have questions or need assistance with the Sidebar, please don't hesitate to contact support@cogs-well.com.