• Data from the expanded child records for each parent record within your online database
• Quick Column Search results in your online database
• Custom views of your online database

Don't have your database in the cloud yet?  Easily and quickly create your online database with a free trial of GroveSite.

Using the Open in Excel Feature: 

From within any online database page, click on Open in Excel located next to the current view drop down.  

Parent-Child Relational Database in GroveSite:

As long as your relational database records are expanded, the Open in Excel report will capture the relationship and any information that is included in your child records.  

Parent-Child Relational Database using Open in Excel:

Quick Column Search within Online Database on GroveSite:

You can also export the Quick Column Search results to View in Excel.  Note that we used the Quick Column Search to find requests that had CRM System as their functional area.  Once the data in our online database was filtered, we selected View in Excel and the filtered results were exported into a report.  

Quick Column Search for Online Database using Open in Excel:

The Open in Excel feature also works with any predefined or custom view of your online database.  Whatever is shown on your screen will quickly and neatly export to Excel in a clean, easy-to-view report.  

• For any column, type a text string like ABC to find content in your database that begins with ABC.
• Include a percent symbol, such as %ABC, to find content in your database that contains ABC.

You can also use a combination of both search functions mentioned above within your online databases.  For example, say in one column you want to filter by priority status.  In the example below, we entered a 2 in the Priority Quick Column Search area.  Everything in that column that begins with 2 will display.  Then say you want to search those that have a Priority beginning with 2 and a summary that contains “account”.  In the Summary Quick Column Search area you can enter %account so that records with the specified Priority and Summary search information will display. 

You can visit the help desk page to read more about using the Quick Column Search function in your GroveSite Online Database.   

 If you want to learn more about GroveSite’s Online Database capabilities you can access an overview of Custom Online Databases here.  Don’t have a GroveSite account but think you’re ready to give it a try?  Click here for a free trial and get your team working smarter online in just minutes.  Feel free to contact us with any additional questions.  

WHAT IS A LOOKUP TABLE RELATIONSHIP?

Having a Lookup Table database relationship means that you have a Lookup Table, which contains data that will be used to populate a field within separate, main database tables.  Once you define a link between your Lookup Table(s) and your main table(s), the data listed in the Lookup Table can be used to populate fields within the main database table(s).  

HOW CAN A TABLE LOOKUP RELATIONSHIP BE USED?

An example of how a lookup relationship can be used is within an asset database.  Say you need to keep track of your asset inventory for your balance sheet.  Below, we have created an assets database.  In the screens that follow you can see that we made the “equipment type” field and the “location” field lookup relation field types.  This creates the link so that the data used to populate these fields is being pulled from separate Lookup Tables.  



For both of the lookup relation fields, Equipment Type and Location, we determined the source Lookup Table the database should use to get valid data options for the field.  

After you define your fields you can add your tables to your site and set the linking relationships.  Since GroveSite enables you to build lots of different sites, for different teams and purposes, you must tell the system the site and page where this particular Lookup Table resides.

Once the tables are added and populated on your site, within your main database table you can select [Add a New….] and you will see the lookup fields populated with the entries from your Lookup Table(s). 

EQUIPMENT: LOOKUP TABLE

LOCATIONS:  LOOKUP TABLE

ASSETS: MAIN DATABASE TABLE

If you are interested in learning more about how you can utilize the Table Lookup Relationship in your online database, take a few minutes to watch this step by step training video on how to create a Table Lookup Relationship within your own GroveSite workspace. 

You can also visit the help desk for step by step text instructions on how to create and incorporate the Table Lookup Relationship functionality to your online workspace.  In addition, you can find instructions on how to create and define Parent-Child Relationships. 

Previously, in order to archive a site you had to submit a request for an archive then leave the screen open until the archive was complete.  Only then could you download the files for the archive.  Well, that’s great—but what about the gigantic sites that don’t exactly archive in five minutes?  We understand that time could have been lost staring at the screen waiting for an archive to process.  That is why we decided to revamp it! 

THE CHANGES

With the updates to the Archive Site utility, you are now able to request an archive and then leave the page!  Actually, that is encouraged.  The biggest changes to the feature include:

1. Being able to leave the site and have the site archive
2. Email notification when ready
3. Log kept of all recent archives

1: The Archive Site utility will now run in the background.  This means you can request a site archive, or two, or three before you leave for a meeting, step out for lunch, or even leave the office.  Whether you remain on the archive screen, navigate away, or sign out of GroveSite completely, your archive will still be gathering.  

2: You will receive an email notification when your archive is ready for download. You can now Login > Org Admin > Archive Site and  see your archived site and a list of ZIP files ready to download.   Click to Download each zip file to your PC, then extract each one, then click on the '.htm' file to view -- this last part has not changed.

3: There will be a log kept of all recent archives for up to seven days.  Instead of archiving the site one at a time, you are now able to send multiple requests.  Along with this comes the ability to see your requests in an archive log located under Org Admin > Archive Site.  

Please visit the GroveSite Help Desk page on Archiving Sites for more information and directions on how to archive.  You may also watch our How To Training Video: Archiving a Site. 

According to an article in the “MIT Sloan Management Review”, Why Project Networks Beat Project Teams, “the required expertise to tackle such knowledge-intensive projects is often unexpected, complicated, subjective and distributed across the organization. Managers in organizations often assemble project teams to work on such tasks…” 

Based on the findings of their study, Jonathon Cummings and Carol Pletcher (authors of the article from MIT Sloan Management Review) present “the project network as an important tool for accomplishing knowledge-intensive work.”

As defined in the article, a project network “consists of a core set of team members who bring in noncore contributors (such as other company employees, suppliers, consultants, or customers) from their networks who can provide knowledge, information, and feedback regarding the team’s task.” These non-core contributors were found to be “a positive and significant predictor of success”.   

In today’s evolving workplace it doesn’t come as a surprise that co-workers and team members are becoming more dispersed.  So how are these teams and “project networks” supposed to communicate effectively and consistently in order to complete their goals? 

GroveSite's easy online collaboration software enables you to benefit from those you could consider “noncore contributors”; with GroveSite you are able to add internal and external users to your workspace.  Not only can you add them, but you can control what information and content they see and for what duration of time they see it.  You are in complete control of the information you want to share. 

GroveSite's online collaboration suite is dependable, always accessible, secure and easy to use. Our online workspace that enables you to share documents without bogging down email systems, create wiki webpages, use an online calendar and capture a discussion. You are able to build a custom online database—defining fields, adding comments, uploading attachments, including images or assigning relationships easily and quickly.  You are able to manage project status, members responsible and milestones, as well as track issues and receive task email alerts.

Having an online workspace within GroveSite provides your organization’s "project networks" with the structure that encourages communication and participation while reinforcing deadlines and responsibilities.

Click here to get started with a FREE trial of GroveSite’s online collaboration, online database, and online project management software.

• Database QuickStart.  Start making your business processes more efficient, regardless of where your team is located.  This video will walk you through the Database QuickStart process and teach you how to quickly add a database within your online collaboration, database, and project management workspace to help you organize and share data and streamline group communication.     

             Watch GroveSite’s How-To Video on Database QuickStart 

• Full Database Editor.  Using the Full Database Editor you can make more customized and specific database definitions within your online workspace.  Either create a database from scratch or edit an existing database using this tool by adding more fields, refining existing fields, defining or adding custom views, defining relationships, and more. 
  
  Watch GroveSite’s How-To Video on Full Database Editor 

• Customizing Database Fields.  By setting your field options you can further customize your database.  This video will walk you through the fine-tuning process of creating your database.  Learn how to add spaces and special characters to field names, specify field size and set defaults, permissions, and required fields. 
  
  Watch GroveSite’s How-To Video on Customizing Database Fields

• Editing Default Database Views.  Now that you have your database created with the fields of your choice, you are able to determine which fields you wish to include in the two default views, Expanded and Summary View, and how you want the chosen fields in each view to display.
  
  Watch GroveSite’s How-To Video on Editing Default Database Views 

• Defining Custom Database Views.  You may want to add additional custom views to your database to show relevant information for either a step in the workflow or for a particular group.  Just like the Expanded and Summary views, you are able to determine which fields you want to include and how you want those fields to display. 
  
  Watch GroveSite’s HowTo Video on Defining Custom Database Views 
  
   
• Adding a Database Filter.  Adding a filter to your database enables you to select a certain subset of data to work on.  For example, all rows with a certain status, or all rows within a certain date range.  Once you select your subset, it becomes easier to change and update the item within it.  
  
  Watch GroveSite’s HowTo Video on Adding a Database Filter 

As expected, there will be more videos to come.  Subscribe to GroveSite’s YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on future videos to come.  For any additional help please visit GroveSite’s Help Desk or contact GroveSite’s Customer Support.  

Need a GroveSite account?  Sign up for a free trial of online database and online collaboration software today! 

GroveSite enables you to set up secure, separate workspaces for each committee to use, as well as create a shared common site for everyone to access.  Committee chairs utilize our user-friendly editor to post new information, share important documents, and add meeting details to a shared team calendar.  Committee members can then provide feedback on documents and brainstorm new ideas with our easy discussion forum feature.  

 [click on picture to enlarge]

 [click on picture to enlarge]

Having a workspace on GroveSite allows members to quickly view each other’s contact information and broadcast an email to all members.

[click on picture to enlarge]
 

One Arizona association also uses GroveSite to manage the publication of its magazine. Magazine contributors, free lancers and editors can upload article drafts and other documents to a workspace for the current magazine issue. Best of all, those large image files and photos can be uploaded and shared instantaneously with the printer – no more last-minute courier needed!  

See what other online collaboration, database, and project management features GroveSite has to offer!  Want to see how GroveSite’s online collaboration software can help your committee get on track and stay there?  Request a free trial of it today!  

Do you want both?  GroveSite combines the best of both worlds with a user-friendly, collaborative online relational database solution. 

Not only does it allow you to make unstructured comments, but it allows you to attach documents within those comments!  And it doesn’t stop there.  Was that a picture I just saw in your database?  Yes, yes it was.  Lots of product designers and developers use GroveSite, so we are good at displaying multiple sizes of thumbnails in varying ways.  You can set up a Discusssion/Comments area next to each image if you like.   It's easy to hop on board and try out our collaborative database solution with a free online database trial of GroveSite!

Lots of other features make GroveSite a user-friendly database solution.

GroveSite's indented row functionality makes information easy to view and easy to manage.  In the image below you will see how you can use indented rows, comments/discussion and document sharing within your online database.  In the following picture please note that “actions” is the discussion field – which can be renamed to whatever you desire! 

[click on picture to enlarge]

To add a new comment in the discussion area all you do is select add new.  A pop-up window will appear with a summary of the item you are adding a discussion to and the following blank fields: 

[click on picture to enlarge]

As you may have noticed – there is also optional email notification settings for each individual post!  With each post you can determine who, if anyone, you want to send email notification to.  Selecting Create custom notification list will take you to a second screen where you will be able to select which members you want to notify.

You’re probably saying, “Okay, okay that is great!  But now I want to see how a picture can be used!”   Fair enough.  The following figure is how a database entry looks with large image thumbnail in the expanded view.  

[click on picture to enlarge]

The following figure is how a database entry looks with small image thumbnails in a summary view. 

[click on picture to enlarge]

And don’t forget – there is always the option to include no thumbnail, too.

Many of our clients use these capabilities together to create simple, yet extensive and elaborate collaborative online databases.  The functionality of GroveSite’s online databases make it extremely easy to keep all information together, safe, up to date and readily accessable by group members. 

Branding Your Site.  By adding your logo and customizing the look of your site, you have the ability to incorporate and reinforce your brand identity.  This becomes especially important if you are enrolling customers, partners, and suppliers.  Having a centralized, branded GroveSite will streamline communication and help to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.  This video, the first in our series, will provide step by step directions on how to add your logo, customize the color scheme, and set other basic style features.

Watch GroveSite’s Branding Your Site training video.  Once your site is branded, you will be ready to enroll your team members in the site.

Enrolling Members.  GroveSite enables you to enroll both internal and external members to your site.  Each person will get their own login and password to get access to the site.  You are able to control each member’s access to each page of your site and you can determine who is able to just view information, and who is able to upload and edit information.  This video will walk you through the enrollment options and processes, and show you how to set member permissions. 

Watch GroveSite’s Enrolling Members training video. 

We will be posting additional videos in the near future.  Subscribe to GroveSite’s YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on future videos to come.  For any additional help please visit GroveSite’s Help Desk or contact GroveSite’s Customer Support.  

Don’t have your GroveSite yet?  Sign up for an online database and online collaboration software free trial today! 

GroveSite’s web-based collaboration features make it easy for you and your team to collaborate both amongst each other and with outside organizations, regardless of anyone’s location!  GroveSite offers a simple, fast and affordable way to share documents and collaborate with colleagues, clients and vendors via a secure web environment.

With GroveSite’s Online Collaboration Software you are able to

• Incorporate company branding into the look and feel of the sites
• Build wiki-webpages with our easy WYSIWYG editor 
• Provide a single source of up-to-date files and information
• Share documents too large to email
• Keep shared online calendars organized and current
• Communicate project status and responsibilities with project management tools
• Stay informed with discussion board postings
• Create custom online databases 
• Enroll your team
• Reduce administration time and costs

All of this starting at only $49/month?!  You got it!  

GroveSite’s Intro Usage Plan is $49/month and supports up to five users, 500 MB of attached files, and 5000 database records.  Additional users for this plan are only $10/user/month.  Along with the package you will receive One GroveSite, Collaboration Features, Online Database Features, and Unlimited Email Support. Three other pricing plans are available for larger teams. 

   


To learn more about about GroveSite’s Online Collaboration Software, feel free to visit the GroveSite Quick Tour.  Then request a free trial of the online collaboration software here.