How to set up security and prepare for using Webdesk

Webdesk for the Employee Portal:  

Navigate to the Setup >>  Webdesk  >>  Panels tab, click on the Portal button and click on the Search button.  This will display all of the Webdesk Panels that can be utilized in the Employee Portal.  

Each Panel that the District utilizes in an Employee Portal Webdesk must have the Employee Portal Role associated the Panel.  This is how access is granted (security) to the Employee Portal User.  To select the role(s) that will be associated with the respective panel, click on the Security tab. 

In the pop up window, click on the Add Portal Role button to select the role(s) that will be granted access to the Webdesk Panel

For this example, the Webdesk Panel is Budget Transfers I can approve, so, the Appropriation Transfer Approval portal role was selected.  

Creating an Employee Portal Webdesk Dashboard Template

Most District will create and Distribute a Webdesk Panel Template to users,  The template will be a "starting point" for the Webdesk Panel and the District can grant access to the portal users to modify their own Webdesk Panel that was created through the template.  

To create a Webdesk dashboard template, navigate to the Setup  >>  Webdesk  >>  Dashboard Template tab and click on the Add Template Dashboard button.  For this example, we will be creating a template that will be distributed to app individuals who approve requisitions, timesheets, and/or employee forms.  This is the "base" webdesk template that most districts utilize in the Employee Portal. 

Name the template and select Portal Users in the Useable by field and click on the Add button.

To create / modify the Webdesk panel, click on the Modify button.

There are a number of settings for the Webdesk Panel template.  

1. Layout:  You can set the number of columns for the template.  We recommend utilize 2 columns for a template.  
2. Dashboard Colors:  You can set the background color and the header(Tile) color and text color. 
3. Add / Delete Panels:  If you want to give your Portal users that option to add or delete panels in their employee portal, check this box.  
4. Configure Panels:  If you want  to give your Portal users that option to modify  the configuration of panels in their portal, check this box.  

Once you have configured your template, click on the Green + to start to add the panels

Select the Panel to be inserted, the column and placement and then click the Add Panel button. 

The final step is to review and configure all of the options for each and every panel.  

1. Configuration:  This is where the panel can be configured.
2. Color:  This is where you can select the colors of the panel
3. Movement:  This is how you can move the panel in the template
4. Excel:  if available, export contents of the panel to Excel
5. Staff List:  This would create a Staff List when used in an actual Webdesk

When you are done, your approver template might look like this:

Publishing the Employee Portal Webdesk Dashboard Template 

The final step, is to publish the Employee Webdesk Panel to the staff members. Click on the Publish button for the template

Then, select the employee portal role that the template should be published.  For the Approvers Webdesk template, we would select the portal roles highlighted below: 

For all of the roles, check off the Add Dashboard on Portal Login and then click on the Save button.   The final step is to click on the Copy this Dashboard to Portal Users according to above Rules button.  Then, the dashboard will be created for each and every user in the noted portal roles the next time they log into their portal account.  

Video from recent training series: