Introduction to the Company Planner

The Company Planner is a framework in which you can define and implement Company Planner boards. Each board is a collection of different types of cells. Multiple cell types provide different functionalities, such as a grid, a map, etc. To allow two cells to interact with one another, you add a subscription between the cells.

Subscriptions define the action that a cell will take after the event in the publisher cell is detected. They allow the interaction between the two different cells on a given board.

There are four main components:

  • Publisher
    The cell in which the event occurs

  • Event
    The event fired by the publishing cell

    For example, a RowClicked, RowCellClicked event

  • Subscriber
    Where the action takes place

  • Action
    Defines what is to be executed as a result of the event

    For example, plotting a point on a map, drawing a route map, etc.

Menu Commands and Arguments are additional components you can use in a Company Planner board. They are available for particular events and actions.

  • The Menu Command is used with the CustomMenuCommand event. It allows you to select a unique custom menu command.

  • Arg1, Arg2 and Arg3 are arguments used by some actions. They are passed in by the data in the publishing cell.

An analogy for the publisher/event/subscriber/action scenario could be the publication of a newspaper. In this analogy, there is a newspaper company and a reader (AKA a person, or subscriber, who has paid for the newspaper subscription).

The newspaper company (the publisher) prints and publishes a new newspaper every day.

The event is the printing of the newspaper.

The action is sending the newspaper to the subscriber, or the subscriber reading the newspaper.

Each time a new event occurs, a new newspaper is printed. Then the action takes place and the newspaper is sent to the subscriber, who reads it.

A board created with the Company Planner can show data from more than one source. You can include Trimble database information such as:

  • Raw information

  • Mapped data

  • SSRS reports

  • Results from SQL statements

If you want, you can embed a web page.

  1. This guide is for Fuel Dispatch system administrators familiar with board views.

  2. Users do not edit information in Company Planner boards. However, you can design a board to open other windows. For example, if a user double-clicks on a row, it could open the Trip Folder.

Company Planner boards can display any Trimble data you need to show. You can create many different boards. Each board should be for a specific type of user. For example, you could create a board that the addresses the driver manager job function.

A driver manager will need to see:

  • A list of his drivers

  • Driver locations

  • Trips assigned to a specific driver

  • Driver scorecards

  • Weather conditions for a driver’s destination

This illustration shows one possible layout for a Company Planner board.

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Understanding cells

A cell is an area of information on a Company Planner board. This illustration shows a board containing multiple cell types.

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There are several different basic cell types. When you create a specific instance of a cell, it contains all the events or actions for that basic cell type automatically.

You add cells to a board using the Company Planner Setup window.

This table lists cell types you can use in a board:

Cell Type Description

Grid

Displays grid-based data from a board view

For more information, see Creating and saving a new view.

Map

Maps data from other cells using latitude and longitude information

Note: It does not geocode.

RouteMap

Displays the map of the selected leg and the last check call location

ReportViewer

Displays an SSRS report

Note: You can pass parameters.

SQLGrid

Displays the result of a raw SQL command

Note: You can filter this data.

WebBrowser

Displays a web page

Notes:

  1. This cell can accept URL parameters to filter data.

  2. Often, the web page pulls data, such as a location, from another cell. This is not a requirement.

  3. Users can interact with the web page.
You may have additional cell types, depending on the Trimble applications for which you are licensed. For more information on cell types, see Choosing cell types.

Understanding the process of building a board

While creating a Company Planner board, you will follow these general steps.

  1. Draw a sketch of the desired result.

  2. For Grid cells, if the view does not already exist, create a view.

  3. Add a Company Planner board.

  4. Assign the board to user group(s).

  5. Add one or more cells to the board.

  6. Choose cell options.

  7. Create subscriptions.

  8. Test the subscriptions.

  9. Make changes based on testing.

  10. Arrange the cells to match your sketch.

  11. Choose columns for grid(s).

  12. Save and assign layout(s).