Using Align

Align has three primary sections: Tabs, Views, and My Tasks.

Most entities and assignments can be created, edited, and deleted using pages within those tabs.

Tabs

Tabs are located across the top of the window. Some tabs have a drop-down menu to navigate through the application.

Views

Align has list and detail views.

List view provides a list of entities or assignments related to the page the user entered. Common features and attributes of a list are the following:

  • The page displays with all filters cleared
  • Users can move through the results via the pagination options
  • Search is case sensitive and searches across the name__v, ID, and all any text or number field type marked as unique, such as a Vault record ID or by a record’s External ID.
  • For example, when users run processes to push records to or pull records from CRM, Align provides error messages (with Vault IDs) along with other information about failed records in a process log file. Users can now search that log file for full or partial Vault IDs to locate the failed records and make corrections.

  • Entities are represented in lists as links to the corresponding detail page
  • Hovering over the leftmost column of a list row displays a multi-action button
  • Actions are based on the user's security permissions
  • The most common actions available are view, edit, and delete
  • Columns are sortable

Detail view displays all fields available for the entity. Some fields may be hidden during configuration.

Common features and attributes of a detail view are the following:

  • Breadcrumb links at the top of the page help the user recall where they are within the data
  • "Back to..." returns the user to the list view
  • When appropriate, other levels of the same entity type display
  • The upper section exhibits the entity details
  • Action buttons for editing and other actions specific to the entity
  • The lower sections display lists of assignments to the entity
  • The section in the upper right displays an assignment count of all related lists on the page


To delete a record, Align changes the Vault record status to Inactive automatically. This allows Align to eliminate the record from list views and enables the user to include the row in a report without complicating an audit trail.

Align System Tray (My Tasks)

The Align System Tray displays the status of all major tasks the Align User has initiated where the Align User is the Process Task Owner. This allows Align Users to quickly access all major process tasks as they navigate through the Align system. The Align System Tray displays towards the bottom of all Align pages with the following columns:

  • Start Time – Start time of the task, rendered in the Align User's time zone
  • Process ID – Link to the Process Task record to view additional details
  • Process Type – Name of the Align Process (Import, Push, Preview, etc.)
  • Message – Details regarding the process status, stage, and major entity associated with the task
  • Status – If a Process Task is in progress, a progress bar displays until the Task is complete. The progress bar progresses according to the Task's stage rather than the record count.
  • Discarded Account Assignment Previews – If the Align User initiates a preview and then discards the preview, the Status field displays with the black Discard label. If any other Align User discards the preview, the Status field displays with the red Discard label along with a warning icon.

To view more than 50 jobs, build a report.

Calendar Popup for Date Fields

Because the accuracy of date fields in alignment is critical, Veeva Align provides several options for quickly populating common date fields: Today, Territory Start Date, Territory End Date, and no known end date.

Today

A Today link is available for every date field in Veeva Align. When a user selects the link, the current date is entered in the associated field.

Territory Start Date

Parent records dictate the minimum possible start date for some Align records. For those date fields, the calendar popup indicates the minimum possible start date for the record while clearly indicating the parent record.

For example, when a user creates an Account Territory record, two quick dates are provided: Today and the Territory Start Date. The Territory Start Date is the earliest start date that can be applied to the Account Territory record while keeping it within the parent record's Start and End date range.

Territory End Date

The same functionality applies if an End Date field has a parent record that can govern the greatest possible end date.

For example, an Account Territory record was added under a Territory with an end date of 10/31/2017. The Account Territory End Date calendar popup provides a link to quickly apply the same end date for the Account Territory record.

No Known End Date

When an End Date field does not have a parent record to govern the maximum possible end date that can be applied, a quick date of 12/31/2099 displays. The value indicates to the user that a date far in the future should be applied.

Filtering Inactive Records on Detail Pages

Inactive records are now filtered out by default on detail pages. This feature makes it easier for user to find the records they need rather than overloading the list views with unnecessary records.

By default, only records that are live and active display in related lists. Further, users can select the new Show Inactive Records option from the gear menu to display all records regardless of status. If a user selects the Show End-dated Records option and then navigates away from the page, the default behavior resumes.

When a user selects the Show End-dated Records option, inactive accounts are highlighted in gray.

This feature is available on all pages accessed from the Entities tab, but it does not apply to customer-created related lists.