Fast user switching

[infoweb]

Hi there,

 

We use FM go in multiple locations, which is using a file hosted on a remote fm 13 server.

 

At each location we have a number of users logging into FM go on 1 ipad - Currently we have them switching between users each time someone picks up the ipad to enter a new record.

 

Our current process is that before they enter any details they click a login button which runs a "Re-login" script. They then enter their username and password and login.

 

I'm getting feedback that the process is a bit 'clunky' - often there are a number of people standing at the counter and our users need to get the data loaded as quickly as possible. they don't want to have to re-login all day long, they just want to select or "Switch" between logged in users - they don't really get that their is only one logged in user.

 

I was thinking that once a record is committed a popup window appears with a list of users that have logged in for the day so far and they simply click on one to re-login as that user.

 

Really interested if  anyone has come up with any simple, fast, secure user switching functionality?

 

Mark

 

 

[Wim Decorte]

How about ways to identify users in a different way, like scanning a barcode or swiping a card to identify them and start the workflow, but without switching users?  There was a really good session at Devcon this year from Drexel University along those lines.

[infoweb]

We currently use a bar coding system for users to login. Each user has a lanyard, which they scan to login.

So in this scenario I'd create a secondary "logged in user " system which track currently logged in users and just switch between them?

[David Jondreau]

FileMaker's "Manage Security" is generally used for two different functions.

 

The first is to protect the solution from *unauthorized* access. It's to prevent someone from seeing or modifying data they shouldn't be.

 

The second is to "manage users". It's used to keep track of what individual human has seen or modified data.

 

It sounds like you're having an issue with the second task. You don't need to use Manage Security/ Accounts to do this.

 

I just built this functionality into a similar system for a walk-in retail store. There's 3 iPad Minis that live behind the counter. A customer walks in, a salesperson picks up an iPad, and starts to make a new invoice. In that process a row of buttons pops up each button labeled with a salesperson's name. The rep taps the button and continues with the sale. The whole step takes about 1 additional second.

 

The features are the dynamic button generation, the scripted process, and the tracking of the user.

 

There's a table of users, and some users are marked as "salesperson". On startup a script finds those users and sets a repeating global to those names (one rep per name).

 

When a salesrep clicks "New Sale" a popover menu displays. That popover has the global repeating field reps showing, formatted as buttons. The fields allow entry in browse mode and have an "onEntry" trigger. That trigger runs a script that sets a global variable ($$user), ensures that global is populated, commits, closes the popover, and runs the rest of the New Sale script (or just New Record).

 

There is an additional field in the Sales table, "Created by Saleperson" which is auto-enter, do not replace calculation of $$user. That is the field that tracks the person who entered the sale.

 

The iPad login account is actually irrelevant for tracking users, so the iPads themselves have a login account. If a sales person has other duties, they need to log in from a different machine.

[infoweb]

Hey David,

Thanks heaps for the suggestions.

What you reported is 95% of what I'm looking to do!

The only thing I'll need to work around is that we have multiple locations with multiple staff which move around between locations,

When I show the pop up to choose which salesperson I only want to show sales people who logged in for that day.

Will work on that angle .

Sound like a great solution.

Mark.