Glossary

Modified on Thu, 21 Dec 2023 at 05:33 PM

Overview

This document lists the fundamental concepts and terminology used throughout Actionstep. It is not intended as a detailed explanation of the topics but rather as a quick-reference guide.

Workflow

Term	Description
Action	A generic term for what might be called a Matter, Case, Project, Job, etc. Actions are live instances of Action Types.
Action Alias	An alternative term for 'Action', which can be customized to Matter/Project/Case/etc. and is reflected system-wide.
Action Alias Plural	The plural form of an Action Alias, addressing cases where adding 's' to the end does not form a plural.
Action Data	Refers to the page in action details that displays Custom Data for that action type.
Action Participant (Party)	When a Contact is linked to an Action, they become an Action Participant, categorized by their Participant Type within the Action.
Action Status	An Action can have one of these statuses: Active, Inactive, Closed, or Template.
Action Template	A template Action used to pre-populate new Actions with default Action Participants and Custom Data.
Action Type	Differentiates Actions by their process, allowing administrators to configure workflows to meet organizational needs.
Alert Bar	The bottom panel of the main pages within ActionStep that alerts users to real-time events like new emails, overdue tasks, upcoming appointments, etc.
Application	A grouping of ActionStep features (e.g., Workflow, Accounting, Knowledge Base) to ease user navigation and control access. Also refers to any computer program generally.
Audit Trail	In the context of an Action, it refers to the recording of all changes to the action as "System" type File Notes.
Custom Data	See "Data Collection."
Data Collection	A set of Data Fields, where "Single-row" data collections are displayed as forms and "multi-row" data collections as lists.
Data Field	A custom data element specific to an Action Type, with attributes like data type (text, date, number, etc.) defined by the administrator.
File Note	A time-stamped, indelible text entry linked to an action, categorized as "User" (entered by users) or "System" (auto-entered by ActionStep).
Job	An example of an Action Alias.
Leaf Node	The final node in a path through a Step Tree. Workflow ends upon reaching a Leaf Node.
Matter	Another example of an Action Alias.
Merge Field	A special phrase in a Word document that ActionStep replaces with live data during document generation, usually shown between double square brackets.
Module	Refers to "Application."
Node	A Step placed in a Step Tree, referred to as a Node. The same Step can appear in different Nodes.
Organization Key	A unique identifier for each organization using ActionStep, used during login to maintain data separation between clients.
Participant Type (Role)	The role a linked Contact (party) plays within the Action.
Party	See "Action Participant."
Primary Participant (Party)	The main subject of the Action, typically the Client, shown with details and photo (if available) on the Action details page.
Pre-Sale / Sales Pipeline	A set of Data Fields tracking Action Types related to sales, such as "expected sale amount" and "probability", used for sales reporting and management. Sales Pipeline terminology can be customized in Accounting Admin.
Project	An example of an Action Alias.
Role	Refers to Participant Type.
Root Node	The first Node in a Step Tree. Each Step Tree has only one Root Node.
Step	A milestone (Node) in an Action Type's workflow, configured to perform specific tasks automatically, such as assigning Tasks or sending emails.
Step Tree	A map of linked Steps creating a workflow, with Steps in the tree referred to as Nodes.
System Object	A specific component within ActionStep with attached permissions.
System Role	Associates each ActionStep login with a role (e.g., Partner, Staff Member, Client), defining permissions and access within ActionStep.
Tag	User-defined attributes for grouping items like Tasks for reporting purposes.
Task	The fundamental unit of work within ActionStep, expressed with a due date and reminders. Completed Tasks can be linked to invoices for billing.

Contacts and Participants

Base Participant Type	The primary type from which a Participant derives its identity, typically Company or Individual, but can be custom defined by the administrator.
Contact	The most common Participant Alias, often set as the default in ActionStep systems. Used interchangeably with Participant.
Participant	An entity tracked in the system, commonly used for Contacts and can be of any type defined by the administrator.
Participant Alias	An override for the generic term Participant, usually set to Contact.
Participant Type	Groups Participants and associates them with additional attributes. Participants can belong to multiple Participant Types.
Participant Type Data	Custom fields defined by the administrator for collecting information specific to a Participant Type.

Email

Email	Refers to the integration and management of email addresses and mailboxes within Actionstep.
ActionStep Alias	A setting in Actionstep that links email addresses to user mailboxes, allowing for the distribution of emails to multiple Actionstep mailboxes.
ActionStep Mailbox	A mailbox within Actionstep linked to all contacts with logins.
Catch-all Mailbox	A server mailbox set to receive all mail not addressed to other specific server mailboxes.
DNS	Short for Domain Name System, which resolves human-readable internet addresses into numeric IP addresses and contains email routing and spam filtering settings.
Domain	The internet name a company uses for email and website, such as abc.com.
External Mailbox	Also known as a Server Mailbox, located outside of Actionstep.
Gmail	Google's cloud-based mail service, allowing domain hosting and management through a browser.
IMAP	Short for Internet Message Access Protocol, a more feature-rich successor to POP for email handling.
Mail Client	The program or browser-based interface used to manage email (e.g., Outlook, Gmail).
Mail Server	A computer running programs for handling email delivery and receipt, sometimes segregated into separate servers for each function.
Microsoft Exchange	A Microsoft product for managing mail, calendars, and contacts, often used in office settings. Does not support Catch-all Mailboxes.
MX Record	A domain setup instruction that indicates the mail server receiving email for that domain.
POP	Short for Post-Office Protocol, a standard protocol for downloading email from mail servers.
Server Mailbox	A mailbox located on a mail server outside of Actionstep.
SMTP	Short for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, a standard for sending email.
SPF	Short for Sender Policy Framework, an email validation system to prevent email spoofing and spam.
Wildcard Mailbox	Another term for Catch-all Mailbox.

Time Recording & Billing

Activity Type	Classifies and groups Time Record entries, particularly useful for non-Action-related activities like general office work.
Actual Hours	The actual time spent by a user on a Time Record.
Billable Hours	The time on a Time Record that is billable, linked to a Rate Sheet.
Invoiced Hours	The hours from a completed Task allocated to an invoice, allowing partial billing on different invoices.
Rate Sheet	Specifies hourly rates, including cost and tax inclusion. Default Rate Sheets are assigned to System Roles and users, with various overrides possible.
Time Record	An interval of time a user spends on a single activity, which may be linked to a Task. A Task can have multiple Time Records.

Accounting

Auto-Number	A sequence format for sequentially numbered records like invoices, allowing customization such as 'INV-X-2012' where 'X' increments numerically.
Bank Participant Type	A Participant Type linked to a Contact record that can be associated with a bank account.
Customer Participant Type	The Action Participant automatically linked to any invoices/bills created within an Action.
Disbursement	Records expenditures without an associated supplier invoice, useful for recording miscellaneous Action-related expenses like photocopying.
Disbursement Template	A pre-formatted Disbursement for consistent entry of standard items like photocopying rates.
Division Accounts	A subset of the master chart of accounts used in multi-divisional ActionStep setups, ensuring consistency across the organization.
Doc Templates	Replaces PDF Templates with DOCX and merge fields for styling invoices and other documents.
GST Alias	Customizes sales tax terminology for different countries, like setting VAT in the UK.
Invoice Templates	Refers to Doc Templates.
Line Item Module	A custom module for handling special requirements on the invoice screen, such as calculating commissions or fees.
Linked Account (Link)	An account in the master chart that is linked to a System Account, necessary for multi-currency systems.
Master Accounts	A super-set of all allowable accounts in the chart of accounts, with transactions never posted directly to them.
Module	Refers to Line Item Module.
PDF Blocks (deprecated)	Components of a PDF template for printable documents, now being phased out in favor of DOCX merge-field layouts.
PDF Templates (deprecated)	Collections of PDF Blocks for creating printable quotes, invoices, etc., being replaced by DOCX merge-field invoice layouts.
Purchase Template	Similar to a Sales Template but used for Purchases.
Purchases	The generic term for payables, supplier invoices, and other expenditures.
Sale/Purchase Types	Customizable bases for sale and purchase instruments, requiring special training for modifications.
Sales	The generic term for receivables, customer invoices, and other income sources.
Sales Template	A pre-formatted template for quotes, orders, or invoices, used as a starting point for new documents.
Supplier Participant Type	The Action Participant linked by default to any expenses created within an Action.
System Account	An account with special meaning in ActionStep, where certain operations are automated, such as posting GST from an invoice.

Trust Accounting

Client Combination	Funds held in trust for an Action's clients are for all listed clients, requiring trust administration privileges for transfers.
Inter-Matter Transfer	Funds transfer between actions, not affecting the bank balance and therefore not shown in bank reconciliation, posted through the Trust Transfers Account.
Paid by Firm	Amounts paid from an Action when there are insufficient trust funds, incurring liability by the firm and taken from the available Trust Surplus.
Trust Liability	The total funds held by the firm on behalf of clients, to which the firm has no claim due to unpaid invoices.
Trust Receipt	An official receipt issued for trust fund deposits, often audited by regulatory bodies.
Trust Surplus	The excess of total trust bank balances over the trust liability account balance.
Trust Transfers Account	Records transfers of trust funds between Actions, keeping a zero balance as transactions are offset. See Inter-Matter Transfer.