Configure an app
Configuration elements let you configure the behavior and appearance of an app, and to then edit the values without the need to redeploy or republish the app.
To configure an app, complete the following steps.
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The stakeholders collaborate on the app design.
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In Advanced Inventory Platform Manager, the app administrator creates the configuration elements, which includes setting default values and if users can override values. The administrator can also organize the elements in categories.
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In Advanced Inventory Platform Manager, the app developer references the configuration elements in an app, and then publishes the app.
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In Advanced Inventory Platform Manager, the business analyst assigns values to the configuration elements, overriding default values to match the app design.
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In the Mobile Client, for values specified to allow user overrides, the end user selects values through the Advanced Inventory client.
Roles for configuring an app
Several users or roles within your organization collaborate to establish, implement, and manage the configurable elements of your apps. While this topic focuses on the main roles involved in translating your business processes into components of your Advanced Inventory solution, keep in mind that additional stakeholders, such as the process owner, will also need to be involved.
App Architect/Business Analyst
The app architect or a business analyst works with stakeholders to evaluate a business process, documents the common and variable aspects of the process, and then creates an overall design for how the business process information best translates into configuration elements and the resulting app within the Advanced Inventory solution.
App Administrator
After the architect establishes the configuration elements design, the app administrator creates the configuration elements in Application Studio.
For each new configuration element, the administrator defines the type as well as the settings associated with the type. The administrator also sets default values that the apps will rely on when no other value is set.
It is a best practice to group the new elements into categories. This helps the app developer later in the process with identifying which elements belong with each business process.
Note:Any user with access to Application Studio can create and organize configuration elements, though this task is typically handled by the app administrator.
App Developer
After the administrator creates and categorizes the configuration elements, the app developer leverages the configuration elements to develop the app. A published app will have the default behavior and appearance that was defined in the configuration elements.
Business Analyst
When the app is published, the business analyst uses the Application Configuration tool to set values within the configuration elements to match the documented design.
App End User
An end user can change some aspects of the app behavior and appearance while it is running. To enable this, the app administrator must define the applicable configuration elements as app specific and to allow user overrides.
Example design for configuring an app
It is important that the appropriate roles across your organization collaborate to design how a business process best translates into configuration elements, and how the app should ultimately function. The following example is provided to help you create a design before any development work begins on a new app that leverages configuration elements.
Company overview
The Acme company integrated Mobile Enterprise Platform with their ERP system. Acme's three distribution centers (MO-DC, NY-DC, AZ-DC) and one manufacturing center (IL-MFG) rely on this integrated solution. The Open Purchase Order (OP) process across these facilities is not identical, though having only one app to support the process is ideal.
Design process overview
The Acme project team starts by documenting each facility's OP process and notes where the processes vary.
Next the project team maps how the facilities' OP processes correlate with the Configuration element settings, and then verifies the map with the appropriate stakeholders.
Based on the map, the project team identifies that seven configuration elements will be created and then leveraged in the new Open Purchase Order app.
Configuration elements map
The following map identifies the settings and values the Acme project team will define in the new configuration elements.
| Config element # | Purpose | MO-DC | NY-DC | AZ-DC | IL-MFG | Config element type | App or environment specific | Value level | Allow user override |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Receiving doc type | OP | OP | OP | OP | Text | Production environment | System | No |
| 2 | Uses lot control | Yes | No | Per Item | Per Item | Drop Down | N/A | Org Unit | No |
| 3 | Prompt for location | No | Yes | No | No | Switch | N/A | Org Unit | No |
| 4 | Default logo | Logo_DC | Logo_DC | Logo_DC | Logo_MFG | Repository Selector | N/A | Org Unit | No |
| 5 | Theme color | Grey | Grey | Grey | Grey | Color Picker | App | User | Yes |
| 6 | Font size | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Slider | App | User | Yes |
| 7 | Font | Arial | Arial | Arial | Arial | Font Selector | App | User | Yes |
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