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Transcript of NAVY POSTAL DIRECTORY SYSTEM - United States … Users Manual.pdfThe Navy Postal Directory System...
NAVY POSTAL
DIRECTORY SYSTEM
Version 4.1
22 September 2017
User’s Manual
PREPARED BY:
NAVSUP Business Systems Center
P.O. Box 2010
MECHANICSBURG, PA 17055-0787
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ABSTRACT
The Navy Postal Directory System was developed to support Navy post offices
in managing mail for assigned personnel and to provide a repository of
forwarding addresses for personnel who have transferred to another duty
station.
This document has been developed to provide the users with instructions for
operating the system. The system consists of a Microsoft Access database
containing names, addresses, assigned duty station, and other pertinent data
on individuals who receive mail within the cognizance of the locale Navy Post
Office.
Features include ability to add, modify, and delete all required data, save
and import databases, and ability to selectively print address labels used to
process and forward mail. Users will be able to select the format the
forwarding address will take either U.S. address, Afloat FPO, or Ashore FPO.
Note that the screenshots presented herein may not always represent exactly
what you are seeing on your screen because of the lag time between system
updates and documentation updates, but should generally provide a useful
visual example. Black arrows with white numbers on any screenshot example
highlight the area being discussed, and will not appear on your screen.
In the text of this manual, a number in parenthesis after a specific segment
of text references the identically-numbered arrow identifying a screen
element.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION.................... 8
1.1. Purpose of Document ............................................... 8
1.2. System Requirements ............................................... 8
1.3. INSTALL PROCEDURE ................................................. 8
1.4. Microsoft Access Shortcuts ........................................ 9
1.5. Accessing the System ............................................. 11
1.6. Importing from older databases ................................... 12
2. FUNCTIONALITY .......................... 12
2.1. accessing the database ........................................... 12
2.2. Viewing/Adding/Deleting Personnel Records ........................ 14
2.3. Family Member Tab ................................................ 16
2.4. 3579 Tab ......................................................... 17
2.5. Print Label Tab .................................................. 19
2.6. Purge Tab ........................................................ 20
2.7. Import Tab ....................................................... 21
2.8. Report Tab ....................................................... 24
3.1. System Help ...................................................... 26
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1. SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION
1.1. PURPOSE OF DOCUMENT
This document for the Navy Postal Directory System is written to:
a. Describe the processes and functionality required to operate the
system.
b. Provide users a guide to operating the system.
1.2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
The system is provided to the local Navy Post Office network. Each post
office using this version of the Navy Postal Directory System will be
required to have, as a minimum, the following equipment: PC with Microsoft
Windows XP operating system or better and Microsoft Access 2007 or later
software installed. To operate in a shared database mode, the PCs must be
connected together via a Local Area Network (LAN) and the database must
reside on the LAN server. The database can also be stored on an individual
PC for non-shared processing. For printing data records, a Microsoft
compatible printer must be connected to the PC or the LAN. To print labels,
a Windows PC-compatible label printer must be connected to the PC or the LAN.
Database backups can be performed by the system administrator by simply
copying the file containing the access database to a separate folder just as
you would any file type. Such can be performed on a regular or as-needed
basis. Section 1.5 below describes how to find the Access file in the
Windows file structure.
1.3. INSTALL PROCEDURE
The system is a database that runs off of Microsoft Access. In order to open
the database, the workstation that will be running it will need to meet the
minimum requirements for the system above. Second, the database NPDS 4.0 file
must be stored on the local drive or a share drive that the workstation has
access to.
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1.4. MICROSOFT ACCESS SHORTCUTS
Because this system is designed with Microsoft Access, there are numerous
keyboard shortcuts that can be used when navigating through it. Information
about using Microsoft Access is available through various sources in both
hard-copy format and on the web, but, as an aid to the user, the following
defines some of the more common keyboard shortcuts that can be applied:
Shortcut Function
[Tab] Sets Focus on the next field
[CTRL] + [C] Copies text onto the clipboard
[CTRL] + [V] Pastes contents of the clipboard
[CTRL] + [F] Opens the ‘Find’ (i.e. search) dialog box
[CTRL] + [Z] Undoes the last action
F7 Checks spelling in text box
Esc Undoes changes to current field. Press twice to undo
all changes to current record.
[CTRL] + [‘] When adding records, inserts data from a field in the
previously added record to the same field in the new
record. Can be useful when the same information is
stored in multiple records. (Useful for adding ship
names, or address type to many records).
[Shift] + down arrow When cursor is placed at the beginning of a field,
selects the entire contents of field.
[Shift] + up arrow When cursor is placed at the end of a field, selects
the entire contents of field.
[CTRL]+ [+] Adds a new record
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[CTRL] + [-] Deletes a record. NOTE – record will be immediately
deleted. No confirmation warning appears.
[SHIFT] + [ENTER] Saves the current record
[CTRL] + [Page Up] Goes to previous record
[CTRL] + [Page Down] Goes to next record.
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1.5. ACCESSING THE SYSTEM
The system is accessed by double-clicking the NPDS Access database in the
Windows Explorer file structure. Users must know the file location of the
database prior to using the system and must have access to the location. If
you attempt to access the database and do not have the appropriate access, an
error will result. You must then talk to your system administrator to gain
the appropriate permissions.
An alternative to accessing the database through the file structure is to put
a shortcut on your desktop. Once there, double-clicking the shortcut will
take you directly to the NPDS system. The shortcut is created as noted below.
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2
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Figure 1
To create a shortcut on your desktop, click the folder where the database
resides (1), then right-click on the database name (2), scroll down to the
send-to selection (3) and click ‘Desktop (create shortcut)’ (4). This will
place an icon representing NPDS on your desktop.
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1.6. IMPORTING FROM OLDER DATABASES
NPDS4.0 can import data from previous NPDS systems; NPDS 2.2 and NPDS 3.0. To
import, follow the import procedure in section 2.7 Import Tab below.
2. FUNCTIONALITY
2.1. ACCESSING THE DATABASE
When you double-click the desktop icon or the database in the file structure
(if you didn’t place a shortcut on your desktop), the initial screen that
displays requires entry of your initials prior to performing any other system
functions (figure 2).
Figure 2
Enter the first letter of your first, middle (if applicable), and last names
(1) and click ‘OK’ to continue. You will notice the initials that were
entered are listed in the ‘User’ field in the blue bar at the top of the
screen (2). If you entered your initials incorrectly, use the ‘Change’
button adjacent to the field to change them (3).
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Be sure to enable macros to allow for the database functions to run properly
by clicking the ‘Enable Content’ button.
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2.2. VIEWING/ADDING/DELETING PERSONNEL RECORDS
After you’ve successfully entered your initials, you will see the screen
represented in figure 3 below. This screen allows you to view, add, or
delete personnel records, and also contains tabs that allow you to access
other functionality within the system. Those are described later in this
document. Note that the screen will display the first personnel record in
the database, but all fields will be blank if no personnel have been added.
Figure 3
To access other personnel records, click on the dropdown arrow next to the
‘PERSONNEL’ field (1) and select the name of the appropriate person or you
can use the ‘Search’ button (2) to find a specific record (or you can use the
ACCESS shortcut options noted in section 1.3 above). If you wish to simply
scroll through the personnel records, you can do so using the ‘Page Up/Page
Down’ keys on your keyboard.
You can also MODIFY any field on this screen. If you type into a field, the
‘Add to Print Queue’ button (3) below the data will be replaced by a ‘Save’
button. Clicking ‘Save’ will save your changes. If you have entered invalid
data, a validation error will display and the save will not be performed
until the data is corrected.
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To ADD a new personnel record, click the ‘New Record’ button (4). A screen
with blank fields will display. Enter the appropriate data in each field and
click ‘Save’ to save the record.
To DELETE a record, click the ‘Delete Record’ button (5) while viewing the
record to be deleted. Note that this will not actually delete the record
from the system, but will make it available in the purge list via the ‘Purge’
tab. See the ‘Purge Tab’ section below for information regarding deleting a
record from the system.
The ‘Add to Print Queue’ button (3) places forwarding address information
from the personnel record into the label print queue. Once there, you can
use the ‘Print Label’ tab, discussed later, to print a forwarding address
label for an individual.
If you are using the database on a shared drive, it’s possible another user
simultaneously updated information on the record you are also working on. If
this is a concern, click the REFRESH icon (6) to refresh your display so that
the most recent data displays.
Note: The Refresh button is not available in the 2007 version of MS Access,
users can still refresh by clicking the refresh all button in the Home tab on
the top ribbon.
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2.3. FAMILY MEMBER TAB
Clicking on the ‘Family Member’ tab on the Personnel screen (figure 3 above)
displays the form for viewing/adding/deleting family members associated with
a personnel record (figure 4). If family member records already exist, the
number of records will be identified in parenthesis next to the tab title
(1).
Figure 4
In figure 4, the one family member associated with the personnel record from
figure 3 is listed in the grid on the left side of the screen. To modify or
delete a family member record, click on the name in the grid (2), and the
data fields on the right side of the screen will populate with the
information for that family member (3).
To MODIFY any of the data simply overtype the data that’s displayed then
click the ‘Save’ button that will appear below the last data field (next to
the ‘Add to Print Queue’ button (4)). To DELETE a record, click the ‘Delete’
button (5). If you wish to ADD a new family member record, click the ‘New
Record’ button (6) and complete the data fields then click ‘Save.’ If the
family member share’s an address with the associated personnel member, use
the ‘Same as personnel member’ button (7) beneath the family member’s grid to
auto-complete the address fields.
If you wish to view the family members for a different personnel record,
simply click the PERSONNEL dropdown (8) and select the appropriate record.
As noted for the personnel record previously, if you anticipate that someone
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else might be editing the same family member records simultaneously, you can
use the refresh button (9) to insure the most current data is being
displayed.
The ‘Add to Print Queue’ button (4) will add the family member’s forwarding
address information to the label print queue. You can then print a
forwarding label via the ‘Print Label’ tab described later.
2.4. 3579 TAB
A 3579 is an address label for a publication, such as a magazine or
newspaper. When a transferred individual’s publication is received, a 3579
label is printed to send the forwarding address of that individual to the
publication. Clicking this tab allows the user to add/modify/delete
publication labels and also to associate a publication with an individual’s
personnel record.
Figure 5
Figure 5 represents the screen you will see when you click the ‘3579’ Tab.
The individual from the previous tab is listed (1), but can be changed via
the dropdown if necessary.
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The list on the left side of the screen (2), below the individual, shows all
of the publications that currently exist in the system. Note that this is a
system-level list, and is not tailored to a specific individual. This allows
you to queue a label for any individual.
When you click on a publication in the list, the address information for that
publication is displayed in the text fields below the list (3). At this
point, you can update the information as necessary, or delete the publication
from the system via the ‘Del Publication’ button (4). If you modify any of
the data, the ‘Del Publication’ button will change to a ‘Save’ button, which
you will click to save your changes once they are completed. If you make
changes but decide you do not want to save them, simply click on the
publication name in the publication list (2), and the changes will be
canceled. Note that when deleting a publication, you will be asked to
confirm the deletion action, and if confirmed, the publication will no longer
be in the system, and will have to be re-added via the ‘New Publication’
button (5) if the delete was in error.
Use the ‘New Publication’ button (5) to add additional publications to the
system (and subsequently to the publication list). When clicked, all of the
data fields (3) will be blank. Simply enter the appropriate information then
click the Save button that will appear to the right of the data fields.
To queue a print label for a specific publication for an individual, click on
the publication in the publication list, then click the ‘Queue 3579 Label’
button (6). This will place the publication name in the queue list (7) and
also create a 3579 label in the print queue that, when printed, can be sent
to the publication to inform them of the subscriber’s new address. Accessing
the print queue and printing the label is done via the ‘Print Label’ tab
discussed next. Note that when a publication is placed in the queue list
(7), it cannot be removed from the queue on this screen. If the publication
was queued in error, it can be deleted from the queue via the ‘Print Label’
tab.
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2.5. PRINT LABEL TAB
The ‘Print Label’ tab allows you to print labels for the records that were
placed in the print queue previously. The Personnel, Family Member, and 3579
Tabs each provided functionality for placing records in the print queue (see
respective sections above for explanation on where that functionality
exists), and any record placed in the queue will be visible here (see (1) in
figure 6 below).
Figure 6
To print a label, select the record via the checkbox (2), then click one of
the print buttons (3) at the top of the screen. Note that you can select
multiple records for printing. Prior to printing, insure you have the
correct labels inserted into the printer.
In addition to printing, you can also delete records from the queue. To
perform a delete action on multiple records, select the checkbox next to the
records to be deleted (2), then click the ‘Delete All’ button at the top of
the queue list and respond appropriately to the delete confirmation pop-up.
To delete a single entry, click the icon (4) next to the row to be deleted
then respond appropriately to the confirmation prompt. To select or deselect
all rows, click the top check box (5).
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The ‘Refresh’ button is used to refresh the list. Refreshing would only be
necessary if you suspect another user might be adding records to the print
queue while you are in the system.
2.6. PURGE TAB
The ‘Purge’ tab contains personnel records that are ready to be purged from
the system due either to their age or to having been deleted by a user while
in the Personnel or Family Member tab (see the ‘delete’ functionality in
those respective sections above). The current age parameter is 13 months
after the Departure Date, thus, the names of any personnel that have departed
the ship 13 months or more from the current date will appear on the screen
(represented by Figure 7). User action is required to remove the record from
the system.
Figure 7
To completely remove a Personnel record from the system, click the ‘Purge’
icon (1) and respond appropriately to the confirmation pop-up. If you want
to remove all of the records that are on the purge list at once, use the
‘Delete All’ button at the top of the list (2).
The ‘Refresh’ button (3) will refresh the list to contain all of the records
currently available for purging. You might want to do a refresh immediately
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prior to clicking the ‘Delete All’ button to insure you are working with the
most current list.
2.7. IMPORT TAB
The ‘Import’ tab allows you to import records from another version of the
NPDS system. The NPDS system is designed as an Access database, and an
Access database is nothing more than a file stored in the Windows directory
just as any other file would be stored (i.e. Word document, PowerPoint
presentation, etc.). When a new version of the NPDS database is created
(typically to add user-requested mods or fix errors), it will not contain any
data until the user creates records by using the system. In most cases, you
will probably want to import the records that are currently in the older
version of the database rather than re-entering all of the same data. The
Import function allows you to do so.
Figure 8
To import records from an older version of the NPDS system, use the ‘Browse’
button to locate the Access database file in your Windows directory. When
you click ‘Browse,’ the Windows directory structure will appear (Figure 9).
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3
5
2
1 4
Figure 9
In the file list on the left side of the pop-up, select the folder where the
database to be imported resides. In our example, the ‘Desktop’ folder has
been selected (1). The bar at the top of the screen identifies the folder
that was selected (2).
Once you select the correct folder, the importable files that reside in that
folder will be listed. Note that the system knows to only show those files
that are importable. In our example, only one Access file is listed (3). If
you do not see any file listed, insure you have the correct file type
selected (4). An Access database can be one of two file types, MDB or ACCDB.
MDB is an older format, but should still be importable. If you do not see
your database listed, click the dropdown error and select the other file
type. If this doesn’t resolve the problem, you may have misidentified the
folder where the Access database resides.
Once you see the file listed, click it, and insure the file name appears in
the ‘File Name’ box at the bottom of the screen. Click ‘OK’ (5) to complete
the action.
Note: the name of the import files must be either NAVMDS22 or NAVMDS30
according to the older versions being imported.
After ‘OK’ is clicked, the file will be listed on the Import tab screen
(figure 10). Click the ‘Import’ button (1) and follow the prompts. If an
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error results, contact you system administrator or generate a help desk
ticket as your procedures dictate.
Figure 10
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2.8. REPORT TAB
The ‘Report’ tab allows you to print several pre-defined reports. The
‘Current Record’ report is the default, and allows you to view/print a single
personnel record with the associated family members. The ‘Alpha’ report will
allow you to view/print a list of personnel who have not yet departed the
ship, and the ‘Record List’ report will display all personnel for
viewing/printing, including those who have been transferred from the ship.
The report type is selected via the dropdown at the top of the screen (1)
represented in Figure 11.
Figure 11
Figure 11 represents the default report. If you wish to print or view one of
the other reports, select it via the dropdown provided (1). If you want the
default report for a different personnel record, use the Personnel dropdown
(2) to change the record. The Print button (3) allows you to print whichever
report is displayed.
When you change the report to either the ‘Alpha’ or ‘Record List,’ a screen
like that represented in figure 12 displays. The format of these reports is
identical, but the data may be different, as noted previously. If no
personnel in the system have departed the ship, the reports will be
identical.
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Figure 12
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3.1. SYSTEM HELP
As noted previously, the system was developed using Microsoft Access, so any
functionality provided in Access applies. It is not necessary to be familiar
with Access to use the system, but some of the errors you encounter might be
resolvable by referring to Microsoft’s help on the web. If you encounter
errors that you are unable to resolve, refer to your organization’s
procedures for submitting help tickets to the system developer. This will
most likely involve submitting a ticket through the Navy 311 system.