A Quick Video Tutorial of Entities
Table of Contents
Introduction
In Navgar, an entity represents a distinct component of your business operations, such as a department, project, client, or any other unit that requires individual management or you want to serve as a container that you can attach Tasks, Flows, and chat to.
Why Are Entities Useful?
Organized Operations: By defining entities, you can compartmentalize various aspects of your business, ensuring that each segment operates smoothly without interference.
Targeted Task Management: Assign tasks, projects, and workflows (known as "Flows" in Navgar) to specific entities, allowing for focused progress tracking and accountability.
Enhanced Collaboration: Entities facilitate clear communication channels within teams, ensuring that discussions and resources are pertinent to the relevant unit.
Use Case Example: Project Management
Imagine your company is handling multiple client projects simultaneously with a holistic view. By setting up each client as a separate entity in Navgar, you can:
Assign Tasks: Allocate specific tasks to team members within the client entity, ensuring clarity and responsibility.
Manage Flows: Implement standardized workflows for project execution, enhancing efficiency and consistency.
Streamline Communication: Utilize Navgar's chat system to maintain focused discussions within the client entity, reducing cross-project noise.
Monitor Progress: Use Navgar's project management tools to oversee task completion and project milestones, ensuring timely delivery.
This structured approach enables your team to manage multiple projects effectively, maintain clear communication, and deliver quality results to your clients.
By incorporating entities into Navgar, you're equipping your business with a robust framework for organized, efficient, and scalable operations.
Setting Up and Managing Entities
Creating and Managing Entity Types in Navgar
In Navgar, an Entity Type serves as a template or category that defines the structure and attributes for a group of similar entities, such as clients, projects, or departments. This guide will walk you through creating an entity type, adding custom fields, setting key identifiers, and associating tasks and flows with entities.
1. Creating an Entity Type
Navigate to Entity Types: In the Navgar platform, locate the section dedicated to managing entity types.
Add New Entity Type: Click on the "+ New" button to create a new entity type.
Define Entity Type Name: Enter a name that represents the category, such as "Clients" or "Projects."
Set Display Name: Determine how individual entities within this type will be labeled, like "Client Name" or "Project Title."
2. Adding Custom Fields
Custom fields allow you to capture specific information relevant to your entity type.
Add Fields: Specify the attributes you want to track, such as "Dog Breed," "Age of Dog," or "Owner Name."
Set Field Types: Choose appropriate input types (e.g., short answer, numeric, user selection) for each field.
Mark as Required: Indicate which fields must be filled out when creating an entity.
3. Setting Key Identifiers
Key identifiers ensure each entity is uniquely distinguishable within its type.
Select Key Identifier: Choose one or more fields (limited to short answer and numeric types) to act as unique identifiers, such as "Dog Name."
Enforce Uniqueness: The system will prevent the creation of duplicate entities with the same key identifier value.
4. Creating an Entity
Once the entity type is defined:
Navigate to Entities: Go to the section where entities are managed.
Add New Entity: Click on the "+ New" button and select the desired entity type.
Fill in Details: Complete the form with information for each field defined in the entity type.
Save Entity: Ensure all required fields are completed, then save the entity.
5. Associating Tasks and Flows with Entities
Linking tasks and flows to entities helps organize work related to specific items.
From the Entity View:
Add Task: Within the entity's detail view, add tasks directly related to the entity.
Launch Flow: Initiate flows that pertain to the entity's processes.
From Tasks or Flows:
Associate with Entity: When creating or editing a task or flow, select the relevant entity to establish the association.
6. Viewing and Managing Entity Details
Access the entity's detail view to manage associated tasks, flows, and communications.
Details Tab: View all information related to the entity.
Running Flows: Monitor active flows linked to the entity.
Tasks: Review and manage tasks associated with the entity.
Chat: Engage in discussions specific to the entity, ensuring focused communication.
By following these steps, you can effectively create and manage entity types and their instances in Navgar, tailoring the platform to fit your organization's specific needs.
Archiving Entities
Note: This section relates to entities themselves, not entity types. See further below...
In Navgar, the Archive feature allows you to manage entities and entity types that are no longer active but may be needed in the future.
Accessing the Archive Section
Location: Find the "Archive" section next to the "New" button in the main navigation bar.
Contents: This section lists all archived entities and entity types, enabling you to manage them as needed.
Archiving an Entity
Select Entity: Choose the entity you wish to archive.
Archive Action: Click the "Archive" option from the triple dot menu.
Note: Archiving is permitted even if the entity has active flows or tasks associated with it.
Unarchiving an Entity
Access Archive: Navigate to the "Archive" section.
Select Entity: Choose the entity you wish to unarchive.
Unarchive Action: Click the "Unarchive" option to restore the entity to its active state.
Archiving an Entity Type
Select Entity Type: Choose the entity type you wish to archive.
Archive Action: Click the "Archive" option.
Important: When an entity type is archived, all entities associated with it are also archived. These entities cannot be unarchived until the entity type is restored.
Unarchiving an Entity Type
Access Archive: Navigate to the "Archive" section under entity types.
Select Entity Type: Choose the entity type you wish to unarchive.
Unarchive Action: Click the "Unarchive" option to restore the entity type to its active state.
Note: After unarchiving an entity type, the entities within it remain archived. You must unarchive them individually as needed.
Utilizing the Archive feature helps maintain an organized workspace by allowing you to manage inactive entities and entity types efficiently, ensuring that your active workspace remains uncluttered.
Deleting an Entity Type in Navgar
In Navgar, managing your entity types is straightforward. To maintain data integrity, only empty entity types—those without any associated entities—can be deleted. Follow these steps to delete an entity type:
Access the Entity Types Section:
Navigate to the 'Entity Types' section from the main menu.
Identify the Entity Type to Delete:
Locate the entity type you wish to delete.
Ensure it contains no entities.
If the entity type has associated entities, the delete (trashcan) icon will be greyed out, preventing deletion.
Delete the Entity Type:
If the entity type is empty, the delete (trashcan) icon will be active.
Click the delete icon.
A confirmation pop-up will appear: "Are you sure you want to delete this entity type?"
Confirm the deletion to proceed.
Important Considerations:
Non-Empty Entity Types:
If the entity type contains entities, you must first delete or reassign those entities before deleting the entity type.
Data Integrity:
Deleting an entity type is irreversible. Ensure that all necessary data is backed up or no longer needed before proceeding.
Deleting Entities
Deleting an entity is a straightforward process. Follow these steps to remove an entity from your workspace:
Access the Entity Options:
Locate the entity you wish to delete.
Click on the three dots (...) to open the options menu.
Delete the Entity:
In the options menu, select the trashcan icon to initiate the deletion process.
Handle Active Flows/Tasks:
If the entity has active flows or tasks associated with it, the trashcan icon will appear greyed out, indicating that deletion is not possible until these are resolved.
Confirm Deletion:
Upon selecting the delete option, a confirmation message will appear:
"Are you sure you want to delete this entity? This action cannot be undone."
Choose "Confirm" to proceed with deletion or "Cancel" to abort the action.
Important Considerations:
Irreversible Action: Deleting an entity is permanent and cannot be undone. Ensure that you have addressed any active flows or tasks and that deletion is the appropriate action.
Archiving Alternative: If you might need the entity in the future, consider archiving it instead. Archiving retains the entity and its data for potential restoration, whereas deletion permanently removes it.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage and delete entities within Navgar, maintaining an organized and efficient workspace.