A couple of important points about RB log-outs …
RB9/RB Lite automatically logs you out of the program after a certain period of inactivity for security reasons. You can also manually log out of RB. For example, when you want to switch to working on a different computer or are finished working for the day.
However before using this function to log out, be sure to save your work: RB does not automatically save your work for you whether it logs you out automatically or you log out manually.
Clear your window by closing all tabs at once …
Every time you log out of RB, RB automatically closes all open tabs (RB functions). However, while working in RB, all functions you open stay open unless you specifically close them.
You can close individual tabs one at a time; or if you have too many tabs open, you can close them all at once with this function to clear your window while staying in RB.
(The opposite function of Close All Tabs in RB would be Startup Functions in User Preferences. With this feature you can specify up to 5 functions you want to open automatically every time you sign into RB. )
Before using RB9/RB Lite, you must set 2 personal defaults; but there are a lot of other options you can set to customize your RB experience …
In addition to system-wide preferences that are the same for all users of your RB system, you can set your own user preferences that customize your experience in RB9/RB Lite.
When you log into RB for the first time, the User Preferences function will automatically appear because there are a couple of defaults that you must set before using the system. You can also customize what your RB windows and emails look like and set other defaults and preferences. Some preferences entered here override global system preferences but for your account only — they won’t affect other users. You can update your user preferences at any time.
The first default you must set before using RB is which business unit (BU) you plan to use most often when setting new jobs and billing jobs.
The other 2 general options are already set but you can change them. The default row count for results grids is 50 rows per page. You can choose from 20, 50, 75, or 100 rows to display in result grids. Higher row counts take longer loading results and require more scrolling; lower row counts will load faster but require more page flipping.
The default RB visual theme is dark text on light backgrounds, but you can choose to set your RB windows to reverse/light on dark mode. Be aware that when you change between these modes, your browser will refresh and you will lose any unsaved changes in other open RB tabs. So always save your data before switching modes.
Customize default settings for new jobs. Set your RB job clock to your time zone and choose whether you want RB’s job clock to change with daylight savings time (the default is to automatically change). Enter a default city and/or state where most of your jobs take place to speed up new job entries.
The other default you must set before using RB is which BU you want to associate with your reports. It does not have to be the same as your default BU for jobs.
If you would like to have messages you receive in RB’s internal message system also sent to your email address, you can turn on the option to have RB automatically forward carbon copy messages to your email. Hyperlinks in forwarded messages will not work; and reminder messages from RB are not forwarded.
The default is to use the email address(es) that were set up in System Preferences. If you are not going to use the email address(es) the rest of the office is using, you can set up your own email address(es) and preferences.
When you do, the Email section lists any email addresses already entered with the main email address selected as the default sender address for RB email. You can:
You can export this list of email addresses as an Excel or CSV file to save, print, or use in other applications.
When entering a new email address, you can designate that it use either the standard email protocol or Microsoft 365 Office email protocol. If using the default email protocol, you must include the email server address and you can add security measures like SSL encryption of your email and SMTP authentication. If using a Microsoft 365 email account, you verify the account through RB before using it.
The rest of the email setup is the address, user name, and any Bcc email addresses to include in emails by default (if you like to keep copies your sent emails, enter your email address here). You can create a signature using formatted text, images, hyperlinks, and even tables that appends automatically to the end of your emails. Edit your signature in the default WYSIWYG word processor environment or as HTML markup.
Finally you can make this email address your primary email address for messages sent in RB. Depending on the function, you may have the option to override which email address you use when sending an individual email.
After setting up an email address, you can test it within this same function to see if you have the correct settings for sending emails within RB from this address. You can also view the sent email to see if you want to make any changes to the signature.
Whether you use the system-wide or your own personal email address(es) if you like to review your emails before sending them, turn on the “show mail composer” option. Then before you send an email from RB, the default will be to show you a preview of your email. In the preview you can check the email and its attachments — and update them if needed before sending the email. Whether you turn on this option or not, you can override the setting when sending individual emails.
You can have RB9/RB Lite open specific functions when you log in. Select up to 5 functions to load by default when logging into RB. You can add and remove startup functions at any time as your needs change.
TL;DR: Set 2 required user preferences before using RB9/RB Lite, plus customize other options to work better for you.
Business Unit (BU): One of your company’s revenue centers or any entity in your business that you want to track separately, such as branch offices, other companies you own, affiliates, and profit-sharing operations.
Job: Usually the reporting of a deposition, but can also be any kind of service you provide with your reporters or other resources. More >
Users: You and your staff who directly access RB.
When you absolutely need to edit something that another user is currently editing, you can take this extreme measure …
To prevent two or more people from working on the same data at the same time and overwriting each other’s work when they save, RB “locks” data when someone accesses it so that only that person can edit it until they save, cancel, or close the data window. You can use this function to release a lock to switch access from the current user to yourself.
When you attempt to access data that another user is already accessing, you can view the data but you cannot edit it. If you attempt to edit the locked data, RB displays a popup that tells you the data is currently being edited and identifies who is editing it.
If you can’t wait for the other RB user to finish — and you can’t contact them to save their work and “unlock” the data but you need immediate access — you can use this function to override a lock to access the data. We don’t recommend this except as an emergency procedure because it overrides anything the other user has entered but not saved yet.
This function displays all currently locked data showing who is using what data in which database and when they started using it. You can sort the list by one or more columns in ascending or descending order (but when you exit the function RB will revert back to the default order). Export the list as an Excel spreadsheet or a CSV (comma-separated values) file to save, print, share, or use in other applications.
TL;DR: Only one person at a time can edit data in an RB function but you can use this function to switch access to yourself.
Users: You and your staff who directly access RB.
Communicate within RB using this quasi-email function …
Receive automatic notifications from the system, and send and receive messages from other RB users using the same system in a format similar to an email system.
In Notifications and Messages, you can:
Notifications and Messages works like email but is not an email system; you can only exchange messages with other RB users in your company.
When a message arrives for you, RB displays an alert dialog box in the notification area of your browser, which will take you directly to the Notifications and Messages function. You can also check messages anytime by selecting the function in your personal menu.
The default view in the Notifications and Messages window is your Inbox with messages listed from most recently received first.
From this main screen, you can access any message listed. You can also send a new message to any RB user or message group in your company. And you can view messages you have sent and messages you have moved to the trash but not removed from the system yet.
When you select a message from the list to read, you can click on any hyperlinks in the message, such as a job number or entity name, to view more information/act on it. You can also reply to the message or forward it to other RB users, either individually or to an entire message group at once.
When you reply to a message, RB automatically fills in the recipient. You can change the recipient and/or add other RB users and groups from the attached list. You can also add carbon-copy (Cc) and blind carbon-copy (Bcc) recipients from the same list.
Like most email systems, the subject line defaults to Re: [subject] of the original message in replies and Fw: [subject] of the original message in forwarded messages, and is editable. Also the message defaults to include the original message.You can edit and format the information as you would an email.
If you want to compose a message now, but send at a later time, you can schedule a delivery date and time. You can flag messages so your recipient sees in their Notifications and Messages listing which messages are important before reading them. You can also request a receipt to have the recipient automatically acknowledge receiving your message.
When you send a message, your message is saved to your Sent Message directory where it is stored for a set amount of days determined in System Preferences.
If you do not need to save a message after viewing it, you can delete it. You can also select multiple messages in your Notifications and Messages inbox to delete at the same time. Deleted messages are moved to your Trash directory, where they are stored for the same set amount of days as your sent messages.
TL;DR: Receive reminders and other messages from the system and other RB users. Act on messages by clicking hyperlinks within messages. Send messages to other users in your company.
Entity: Individual, business, place, or discrete part of your company, such as revenue centers or branch offices. More >
Groups: Categories of RB users that define who can access which functions in RB, what they can do within accessible functions, and what kinds of notifications and messages group members receive.
Users: You and your staff who directly access RB. Contacts and resources are different entities — not users in RB — and access RB9 through RB Connect or RB Connect Mobile.
The personal section is accessible under the user name in the top right corner on screen. What you can do in this module includes:
TL;DR: Communicate with others in your office, manage your RB9, and shortcut some work in the system.
