If you plan to track session statuses, you should begin by creating your own custom session status cycle. Create any steps involved in your session status cycle. Go to Maintenance > Session > Session Statuses from the main menu bar.
Session Status Maintenance
You can choose to set up different statuses for each of your session types by checking the box in the upper-right corner. For example, if you have a different workflow for your senior sessions than you do for your wedding sessions, then check the Enter Statuses by Type option. You will then set up unique session statuses for each session type.
 |
ATTENTION!
Once you choose to enter statuses by type, you should not deselect this choice. If you do, all session statuses will revert to one type. |
The upper portion of the Session Status Maintenance window contains a list of the steps in the session status cycle, including a description of the step, the order of the step, how long the step lasts, and whether the step is the initial or final step in the cycle.
Your installed version of Spectra includes a sample session status cycle. To modify or remove any step, simply highlight it and clicking Remove or Modify at the bottom of the window.
If you decide to use the Enter Statuses by Type option, we recommend you create a unique set of status descriptions for each session type. For example, you can prefix the status descriptions with an abbreviation of the session type (i.e., "SR - Capture Images"). Your triggers will work correctly and you can still use a filter for all sessions that end in a certain status.
The bottom portion of the window is where the statuses (or steps) in your process are actually defined. To create a new status, click Add. To modify an existing status, highlight it and click Modify.
Description - Enter the description of the status you're creating. Be sure to create unique session statuses if you are using the Enter Statuses by Type option as described above.
Sort Order - Enter a sequential number (01, 02, 03, 04, etc.) that corresponds to when this step occurs in your session status cycle. Spectra will display statuses based upon the sort order you assign to them. Do not duplicate numbers in the sort order! However, you may create your statuses in any order, as long as the correct Sort Order is assigned to each status.
Typical Duration - Enter the length of time – in business days – this step usually takes. Spectra will use the duration to calculate the due date for this status. However, this date can be manually adjusted when the status of an individual session is advanced.
 |
HERE'S A FLASH FOR YOU!
When calculating status due dates, Spectra equates "business days" with the days that have been chosen as "Days of the Work Week" on the Calendar page in Studio Preferences. Spectra will count each day of your work week as a business day, including weekends if selected. |
Initial/Final Status - Your session cycle must have one step (and one step only!) that you name as the Initial Status and one step (and one step only!) that you name as the Final Status. Select this option for the appropriate status by clicking the dot in front of the option. To change which step is the initial status, simply create or modify the NEW initial status and select Initial Status. If another step had been defined as the initial status, Spectra will automatically re-assign the initial status to the new step that you've selected. The process works the same for changing which step is the final status.
Associate With - You can associate each session status with a specific stage of Spectra's digital workflow. Each session with this status will appear in the appropriate stage on the Workflow hub. See the "Setting up your Digital Workflow in Spectra" topic of the “Digital Workflow” chapter for more information.
Once the session cycle has been defined, you can track the status of each session as shown below:
Tracking Session Statuses
To change the status of a session, click the Change Status ("...") button to the right of the session status line. The following screen appears:
Session Status Change
Current Status - The current status of the session.
Date Completed - Defaults to the current date. Click the down arrow to modify the date.
Change To Status - Click the down arrow and select the new status from the drop-down list.
Due Date - Spectra will calculate the due date of the new status based on the typical duration of this status as defined in Session Status Maintenance. Click the down arrow to modify the date, if desired.
Status Updated By - If someone other than the user who is currently logged into Spectra is completing this step, click the down arrow and select the correct user.
A history of all session status changes for the session is kept on the Notes tab of the Session record.
You may also want to set up triggers for one or more of your session statuses. Triggers can automatically create tasks or initiate a variety of communications based on the primary session date or when a session status is changed. Set up your session status triggers in Maintenance > Session > Session Status Triggers. For more information on using triggers throughout Spectra, please see the "Triggers" topic in the "Spectra Tools" chapter.
