Workflow Manager

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Purpose and description

• Read, modify and manage Meridian RFI documents remotely
• Associate Tekla Structures Model Objects with Meridian Prolog RFIs
• Navigate and managed associated Model Objects and write attributes to model

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System requirements

Environments: US Imperial, US Metric (Common must be installed)
Languages: English
Tekla Structures License Type: Any (Drafter and Viewer license won't be able to write UDAs to Tekla Structures model)

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Installing Workflow Manager

The installer will abort if :

• Cannot find the Tekla Structures registry information
• Cannot find corresponding registry keys of supported environments

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Using Workflow Manager

Launch from Tekla Structures

• Before version 2016: A new toolbar icon which will launch the tool should be visible when a model is opened. For 2016 version and newer: a new thumbnail in the Applications and components side pane will appear. Double-clicking either will start the tool.

Launch from Windows Start menu

• Click Start > All Programs > Tekla Structures version > Extended Applications > Workflow Manager

Main User Interface of Tekla Meridian Prolog Remote Document Manager Consists with three parts, which are:

 

• Main Menu
• RFI List View
• RFI Information Tab Pages

 

Menu Options

• Connection - There are  three options under the this drop-down menu.

• Connect -   Connect to a Meridian Prolog Portfolio or Project. Connection setting dialog (See settings section below)

• Disconnect - Disconnect to current Meridian Prolog Portfolio or Project

• Close - Close the application

• RFI - There are four options under the RFI drop-down menu.

• Edit mode...  - Change the current session from read-only mode to editable mode

• Commit all changes - Commit all changes and modifications from the RFI Information Tab Pages. All changes will be write to Meridian Prolog Database. The session status will be reset to read-only mode after commit.

• Reload form Prolog - Reload all RFIs from current connected portfolio and project. Your current modification and changes will lost if not commited.

• New Prolog RFI - Create a new Meridian Prolog RFI from the application.

• Options - There are two options under this drop-down menu item

• Always stay on top - An option that allows you to set the dialog of application on top od most dialogs. You can toggle the top-most status by clicking on on this option.

• Model object navigation mode - An option that allows you to set the mode of this application to object navigation mode. This allows you to navigate through Tekla Structures model objects and browsing related RFI(s) that are associated to the selected model objects.

    

• Help - There are two options under this drop-down menu item

• Help  - Open the tool's help
• About - Open dialog presenting information about the tool

   RFI View List

More options are available on right-click on a selected RFI

• Associate Model Objects - Associate selected model objects (from the model) to current selected Meridian Prolog RFI

• Remove all associated model objects - Remove all associated model objects from current selected Meridian Prolog RFI
   

• Manage associated objects - A "Manage Associated Model Objects" dialog will show up after clicking on the "Manage associated objects option".

The "Manage Associated Model Objects" dialog contains two parts:

• Manage options menu - At the top of the dialog, provides options to manage associated objects. This will apply options to selected associated object(s).

• Select all - Select all associated objects from the list

• Write Meridian Prolog RFIs' User-Defined Attributes to Model - Write User-Defined Attributes (UDA) to selected associated model object(s)

• Highlight - Highlight selected, single or multiple, associated model objects in Tekla Structures

• Remove associated object - Write User-Defined Attributes (UDA) to selected associated model object(s)

• Clear all User-Defined Attributes of Meridian Prolog RFI - Clears the User-Defined Attributes (UDA) of the selected associated model objects. 

• Options - Set the Auto Rewrite option to associated model objects to update Meridian Prolog RFIs' User Defined Attributes in Tekla Structures

• Set auto-write on reload option (Multiple) - Set the auto-rewrite on reload option to associated model objects. This will change the "Auto-Rewrite on Reload" check-box status.
  • All
  • Selected only
  • None

• Set auto-rewrite option (Individual) - Set selected associated objects to be automatic rewrite when reloading Meridian Prolog's RFIs. If option is selected, User-Defined Attributes(UDAs) of current RFI will be written to the model object when reloading is applied. Reloading is discussed the in Menu Options > RFI > Reload section above

• A list of associated objects shown in the table, allowing you to select individual associated object and apply different managerial options. You can right-click on a selected associated object and apply similar managerial options to the selected associated object.

• Highlight associated objects - Highlight all associated model objects in Tekla Structures

• Zoom to highlight - Highlight and zoom to all associated model objects in Tekla Structures

• Properties - The property dialog provides a quick view and inquiry-like view over the properties of a Meridian Prolog RFI.

RFI Information Tab Pages

• General

• Project RFI Number - Number of the RFI in Meridian Prolog.

• Subject - Descriptive title for the RFI
• Created Date - Date the RFI was created
• Importance - Select a level of importance for the RFI record
• Discipline - Select the appropriate discipline for the RFI, such as architectural, civil, or mechanical
• Category - Select the category that best classifies the RFI. You can use CSI codes or construction phases as categories.
• Offical - An option to determine if a new RFI is automatically marked as official.  New RFI from Meridian Prolog is set set to checked on default.
• Closed - An option to determine if a new RFI is automatically marked as closed. To indicate the RFI is closed please set the the "Closed" option to checked. When completing answering the RFI, If no further tracking of the RFI is necessary, select the Closed check box to indicate that the RFI has been completed.
• Author RFI Number
• Date Required - The date by which you require an answer to the RFI
• Author Company - Select the name of the company that authorized the RFI
• Authored By - Select the name of the person that authorized the RFI
• Question - Detailed question to the RFI question
• Answer Company - Select the name of the company that answered the RFI
• Answered By - Select the name of the person that answered the RFI
• Date Answered - The date the RFI was answered
• Co-respondent - The name of any additional person or organization that participated in providing the response to the RFI.
• Answer - Detailed answer to the RFI question

• Notes

• Suggestion - Suggested resolution for the RFI question
• Comments - General comments about the RFI
• Specification Section  Reference - The number of the specification section you want to reference.
• Sketch Number - The number of the sketch you want to reference.

• Collaboration - This tab shows the routing history of RFIs that have been created, redirected or answered regarding to this particular RFI. RFI routing history are read-only in this version.

Quote from Meridian Prolog's User Guide:

"RFIs usually involve some form of collaboration with at least one other person. Some RFIs might require one answer or response from a single contact, while others may have to be redirected to several contacts before the appropriate person who can answer the RFI question. In the Collaboration tab, log and track these correspondences, including when they were sent out, which contacts were involved and any comments the contacts may have regarding the RFI. Provided that the contacts involved are also Project Management or Collaboration users and have access to email."

• Impact

• Impact on Cost - An indicator that tells whether exists implication on cost. By default, it is set to Not Sure.
• Amount - The monetary impact of the RFI on the budget.

• Impact on Schedule - An indicator that tells whether exists implication on schedule. By default, it is set to Not Sure.
• Calendar Days - The amount of days by which the RFI impacts the schedule.
• Impact on Drawing - An indicator that tells whether exists implication on drawing. By default, it is set to Not Sure.
• Drawing Update Done - Select the Drawing Update Done check box when any necessary drawings or specifications have been updated.

• Attachments - A list of attachments to selected Meridian Prolog RFI. It is set to Read-only in this version.

• Drawings - Drawing records that are referenced in the RFI from Meridian Prolog

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Workflow Manager settings

Connection dialog settings

• Host name - Select the name of the computer that is hosting the Prolog Manager database.
• User name - A unique name you use to identify yourself to Prolog Manager when you log on.
• Password - A word that prevents other unauthorized users from accessing a database.

• Connect - Once the three required fields are specified, click on Set button to link to the Meridian prolog database.
• Portfolio - Portfolio is in essence a Prolog database containing user credentials (username with passwords), and any number of projects. The Portfolio and Project group box will turn to enable state when the database connection is established and a proper credential is provided. You can select a particular Meridian Prolog Portfolio from the drop down list by clicking on the drop-down combo-box.
• Project - Once the portfolio is specified, you can then select a project from the project list.
• Save as default - You can save the current connection setting as default. The application will reload and displayed the same connection setting next time when you connect.
• Reset - You can reset the connection settings by clicking on the Reset button.   
• Open - Connect to Meridian Prolog Database on specified connection settings

• Cancel - Cancel the connection setting and return to main menu.

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Additional information

Reporting errors and defects

When encountering an error or exception:

1. Take a snapshot of the error message or exception. 
2. Close the application and restart it.
3. Select Help >About from the main menu
4. In the About page dialog, click on the Author link. This will launch the default e-mail editor on your machine.
5. Attach the error screen snapshot to this email and send it.

User-Defined Attributes for Meridian Prolog RFIs

The application allows you to write UDAs to model objects in order to perform visual inquiry and color-coding objects according to attached Prolog RFIs. UDAs naming convention will follow a convention such as:

For example the "Subject" UDA will be written to an object as "MPR_Subject1".  If there are more then one Prolog RFI assigned to the same object, the name will increment on its suffix number for instance the second RFI UDA "Subject" will be "MPR_Subject2" .

UDA Prefix Names

 

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