NAVY POSTAL DIRECTORY SYSTEM - United States … Users Manual.pdfThe Navy Postal Directory System was developed to support Navy post offices ... Describe the processes and functionality

NAVY POSTAL

DIRECTORY SYSTEM

Version 4.1

22 September 2017

User’s Manual

PREPARED BY:

NAVSUP Business Systems Center

P.O. Box 2010

MECHANICSBURG, PA 17055-0787

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For Official Use Only (FOUO) - Business/Competition Sensitive

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This page intentionally left blank.

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ABSTRACT

The Navy Postal Directory System was developed to support Navy post offices

in managing mail for assigned personnel and to provide a repository of

forwarding addresses for personnel who have transferred to another duty

station.

This document has been developed to provide the users with instructions for

operating the system. The system consists of a Microsoft Access database

containing names, addresses, assigned duty station, and other pertinent data

on individuals who receive mail within the cognizance of the locale Navy Post

Office.

Features include ability to add, modify, and delete all required data, save

and import databases, and ability to selectively print address labels used to

process and forward mail. Users will be able to select the format the

forwarding address will take either U.S. address, Afloat FPO, or Ashore FPO.

Note that the screenshots presented herein may not always represent exactly

what you are seeing on your screen because of the lag time between system

updates and documentation updates, but should generally provide a useful

visual example. Black arrows with white numbers on any screenshot example

highlight the area being discussed, and will not appear on your screen.

In the text of this manual, a number in parenthesis after a specific segment

of text references the identically-numbered arrow identifying a screen

element.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION.................... 8

1.1. Purpose of Document ............................................... 8

1.2. System Requirements ............................................... 8

1.3. INSTALL PROCEDURE ................................................. 8

1.4. Microsoft Access Shortcuts ........................................ 9

1.5. Accessing the System ............................................. 11

1.6. Importing from older databases ................................... 12

2. FUNCTIONALITY .......................... 12

2.1. accessing the database ........................................... 12

2.2. Viewing/Adding/Deleting Personnel Records ........................ 14

2.3. Family Member Tab ................................................ 16

2.4. 3579 Tab ......................................................... 17

2.5. Print Label Tab .................................................. 19

2.6. Purge Tab ........................................................ 20

2.7. Import Tab ....................................................... 21

2.8. Report Tab ....................................................... 24

3.1. System Help ...................................................... 26

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1. SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION

1.1. PURPOSE OF DOCUMENT

This document for the Navy Postal Directory System is written to:

a. Describe the processes and functionality required to operate the

system.

b. Provide users a guide to operating the system.

1.2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

The system is provided to the local Navy Post Office network. Each post

office using this version of the Navy Postal Directory System will be

required to have, as a minimum, the following equipment: PC with Microsoft

Windows XP operating system or better and Microsoft Access 2007 or later

software installed. To operate in a shared database mode, the PCs must be

connected together via a Local Area Network (LAN) and the database must

reside on the LAN server. The database can also be stored on an individual

PC for non-shared processing. For printing data records, a Microsoft

compatible printer must be connected to the PC or the LAN. To print labels,

a Windows PC-compatible label printer must be connected to the PC or the LAN.

Database backups can be performed by the system administrator by simply

copying the file containing the access database to a separate folder just as

you would any file type. Such can be performed on a regular or as-needed

basis. Section 1.5 below describes how to find the Access file in the

Windows file structure.

1.3. INSTALL PROCEDURE

The system is a database that runs off of Microsoft Access. In order to open

the database, the workstation that will be running it will need to meet the

minimum requirements for the system above. Second, the database NPDS 4.0 file

must be stored on the local drive or a share drive that the workstation has

access to.

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1.4. MICROSOFT ACCESS SHORTCUTS

Because this system is designed with Microsoft Access, there are numerous

keyboard shortcuts that can be used when navigating through it. Information

about using Microsoft Access is available through various sources in both

hard-copy format and on the web, but, as an aid to the user, the following

defines some of the more common keyboard shortcuts that can be applied:

Shortcut Function

[Tab] Sets Focus on the next field

[CTRL] + [C] Copies text onto the clipboard

[CTRL] + [V] Pastes contents of the clipboard

[CTRL] + [F] Opens the ‘Find’ (i.e. search) dialog box

[CTRL] + [Z] Undoes the last action

F7 Checks spelling in text box

Esc Undoes changes to current field. Press twice to undo

all changes to current record.

[CTRL] + [‘] When adding records, inserts data from a field in the

previously added record to the same field in the new

record. Can be useful when the same information is

stored in multiple records. (Useful for adding ship

names, or address type to many records).

[Shift] + down arrow When cursor is placed at the beginning of a field,

selects the entire contents of field.

[Shift] + up arrow When cursor is placed at the end of a field, selects

the entire contents of field.

[CTRL]+ [+] Adds a new record

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[CTRL] + [-] Deletes a record. NOTE – record will be immediately

deleted. No confirmation warning appears.

[SHIFT] + [ENTER] Saves the current record

[CTRL] + [Page Up] Goes to previous record

[CTRL] + [Page Down] Goes to next record.

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1.5. ACCESSING THE SYSTEM

The system is accessed by double-clicking the NPDS Access database in the

Windows Explorer file structure. Users must know the file location of the

database prior to using the system and must have access to the location. If

you attempt to access the database and do not have the appropriate access, an

error will result. You must then talk to your system administrator to gain

the appropriate permissions.

An alternative to accessing the database through the file structure is to put

a shortcut on your desktop. Once there, double-clicking the shortcut will

take you directly to the NPDS system. The shortcut is created as noted below.

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2

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Figure 1

To create a shortcut on your desktop, click the folder where the database

resides (1), then right-click on the database name (2), scroll down to the

send-to selection (3) and click ‘Desktop (create shortcut)’ (4). This will

place an icon representing NPDS on your desktop.

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1.6. IMPORTING FROM OLDER DATABASES

NPDS4.0 can import data from previous NPDS systems; NPDS 2.2 and NPDS 3.0. To

import, follow the import procedure in section 2.7 Import Tab below.

2. FUNCTIONALITY

2.1. ACCESSING THE DATABASE

When you double-click the desktop icon or the database in the file structure

(if you didn’t place a shortcut on your desktop), the initial screen that

displays requires entry of your initials prior to performing any other system

functions (figure 2).

Figure 2

Enter the first letter of your first, middle (if applicable), and last names

(1) and click ‘OK’ to continue. You will notice the initials that were

entered are listed in the ‘User’ field in the blue bar at the top of the

screen (2). If you entered your initials incorrectly, use the ‘Change’

button adjacent to the field to change them (3).

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Be sure to enable macros to allow for the database functions to run properly

by clicking the ‘Enable Content’ button.

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2.2. VIEWING/ADDING/DELETING PERSONNEL RECORDS

After you’ve successfully entered your initials, you will see the screen

represented in figure 3 below. This screen allows you to view, add, or

delete personnel records, and also contains tabs that allow you to access

other functionality within the system. Those are described later in this

document. Note that the screen will display the first personnel record in

the database, but all fields will be blank if no personnel have been added.

Figure 3

To access other personnel records, click on the dropdown arrow next to the

‘PERSONNEL’ field (1) and select the name of the appropriate person or you

can use the ‘Search’ button (2) to find a specific record (or you can use the

ACCESS shortcut options noted in section 1.3 above). If you wish to simply

scroll through the personnel records, you can do so using the ‘Page Up/Page

Down’ keys on your keyboard.

You can also MODIFY any field on this screen. If you type into a field, the

‘Add to Print Queue’ button (3) below the data will be replaced by a ‘Save’

button. Clicking ‘Save’ will save your changes. If you have entered invalid

data, a validation error will display and the save will not be performed

until the data is corrected.

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To ADD a new personnel record, click the ‘New Record’ button (4). A screen

with blank fields will display. Enter the appropriate data in each field and

click ‘Save’ to save the record.

To DELETE a record, click the ‘Delete Record’ button (5) while viewing the

record to be deleted. Note that this will not actually delete the record

from the system, but will make it available in the purge list via the ‘Purge’

tab. See the ‘Purge Tab’ section below for information regarding deleting a

record from the system.

The ‘Add to Print Queue’ button (3) places forwarding address information

from the personnel record into the label print queue. Once there, you can

use the ‘Print Label’ tab, discussed later, to print a forwarding address

label for an individual.

If you are using the database on a shared drive, it’s possible another user

simultaneously updated information on the record you are also working on. If

this is a concern, click the REFRESH icon (6) to refresh your display so that

the most recent data displays.

Note: The Refresh button is not available in the 2007 version of MS Access,

users can still refresh by clicking the refresh all button in the Home tab on

the top ribbon.

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2.3. FAMILY MEMBER TAB

Clicking on the ‘Family Member’ tab on the Personnel screen (figure 3 above)

displays the form for viewing/adding/deleting family members associated with

a personnel record (figure 4). If family member records already exist, the

number of records will be identified in parenthesis next to the tab title

(1).

Figure 4

In figure 4, the one family member associated with the personnel record from

figure 3 is listed in the grid on the left side of the screen. To modify or

delete a family member record, click on the name in the grid (2), and the

data fields on the right side of the screen will populate with the

information for that family member (3).

To MODIFY any of the data simply overtype the data that’s displayed then

click the ‘Save’ button that will appear below the last data field (next to

the ‘Add to Print Queue’ button (4)). To DELETE a record, click the ‘Delete’

button (5). If you wish to ADD a new family member record, click the ‘New

Record’ button (6) and complete the data fields then click ‘Save.’ If the

family member share’s an address with the associated personnel member, use

the ‘Same as personnel member’ button (7) beneath the family member’s grid to

auto-complete the address fields.

If you wish to view the family members for a different personnel record,

simply click the PERSONNEL dropdown (8) and select the appropriate record.

As noted for the personnel record previously, if you anticipate that someone

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else might be editing the same family member records simultaneously, you can

use the refresh button (9) to insure the most current data is being

displayed.

The ‘Add to Print Queue’ button (4) will add the family member’s forwarding

address information to the label print queue. You can then print a

forwarding label via the ‘Print Label’ tab described later.

2.4. 3579 TAB

A 3579 is an address label for a publication, such as a magazine or

newspaper. When a transferred individual’s publication is received, a 3579

label is printed to send the forwarding address of that individual to the

publication. Clicking this tab allows the user to add/modify/delete

publication labels and also to associate a publication with an individual’s

personnel record.

Figure 5

Figure 5 represents the screen you will see when you click the ‘3579’ Tab.

The individual from the previous tab is listed (1), but can be changed via

the dropdown if necessary.

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The list on the left side of the screen (2), below the individual, shows all

of the publications that currently exist in the system. Note that this is a

system-level list, and is not tailored to a specific individual. This allows

you to queue a label for any individual.

When you click on a publication in the list, the address information for that

publication is displayed in the text fields below the list (3). At this

point, you can update the information as necessary, or delete the publication

from the system via the ‘Del Publication’ button (4). If you modify any of

the data, the ‘Del Publication’ button will change to a ‘Save’ button, which

you will click to save your changes once they are completed. If you make

changes but decide you do not want to save them, simply click on the

publication name in the publication list (2), and the changes will be

canceled. Note that when deleting a publication, you will be asked to

confirm the deletion action, and if confirmed, the publication will no longer

be in the system, and will have to be re-added via the ‘New Publication’

button (5) if the delete was in error.

Use the ‘New Publication’ button (5) to add additional publications to the

system (and subsequently to the publication list). When clicked, all of the

data fields (3) will be blank. Simply enter the appropriate information then

click the Save button that will appear to the right of the data fields.

To queue a print label for a specific publication for an individual, click on

the publication in the publication list, then click the ‘Queue 3579 Label’

button (6). This will place the publication name in the queue list (7) and

also create a 3579 label in the print queue that, when printed, can be sent

to the publication to inform them of the subscriber’s new address. Accessing

the print queue and printing the label is done via the ‘Print Label’ tab

discussed next. Note that when a publication is placed in the queue list

(7), it cannot be removed from the queue on this screen. If the publication

was queued in error, it can be deleted from the queue via the ‘Print Label’

tab.

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2.5. PRINT LABEL TAB

The ‘Print Label’ tab allows you to print labels for the records that were

placed in the print queue previously. The Personnel, Family Member, and 3579

Tabs each provided functionality for placing records in the print queue (see

respective sections above for explanation on where that functionality

exists), and any record placed in the queue will be visible here (see (1) in

figure 6 below).

Figure 6

To print a label, select the record via the checkbox (2), then click one of

the print buttons (3) at the top of the screen. Note that you can select

multiple records for printing. Prior to printing, insure you have the

correct labels inserted into the printer.

In addition to printing, you can also delete records from the queue. To

perform a delete action on multiple records, select the checkbox next to the

records to be deleted (2), then click the ‘Delete All’ button at the top of

the queue list and respond appropriately to the delete confirmation pop-up.

To delete a single entry, click the icon (4) next to the row to be deleted

then respond appropriately to the confirmation prompt. To select or deselect

all rows, click the top check box (5).

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The ‘Refresh’ button is used to refresh the list. Refreshing would only be

necessary if you suspect another user might be adding records to the print

queue while you are in the system.

2.6. PURGE TAB

The ‘Purge’ tab contains personnel records that are ready to be purged from

the system due either to their age or to having been deleted by a user while

in the Personnel or Family Member tab (see the ‘delete’ functionality in

those respective sections above). The current age parameter is 13 months

after the Departure Date, thus, the names of any personnel that have departed

the ship 13 months or more from the current date will appear on the screen

(represented by Figure 7). User action is required to remove the record from

the system.

Figure 7

To completely remove a Personnel record from the system, click the ‘Purge’

icon (1) and respond appropriately to the confirmation pop-up. If you want

to remove all of the records that are on the purge list at once, use the

‘Delete All’ button at the top of the list (2).

The ‘Refresh’ button (3) will refresh the list to contain all of the records

currently available for purging. You might want to do a refresh immediately

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prior to clicking the ‘Delete All’ button to insure you are working with the

most current list.

2.7. IMPORT TAB

The ‘Import’ tab allows you to import records from another version of the

NPDS system. The NPDS system is designed as an Access database, and an

Access database is nothing more than a file stored in the Windows directory

just as any other file would be stored (i.e. Word document, PowerPoint

presentation, etc.). When a new version of the NPDS database is created

(typically to add user-requested mods or fix errors), it will not contain any

data until the user creates records by using the system. In most cases, you

will probably want to import the records that are currently in the older

version of the database rather than re-entering all of the same data. The

Import function allows you to do so.

Figure 8

To import records from an older version of the NPDS system, use the ‘Browse’

button to locate the Access database file in your Windows directory. When

you click ‘Browse,’ the Windows directory structure will appear (Figure 9).

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3

5

2

1 4

Figure 9

In the file list on the left side of the pop-up, select the folder where the

database to be imported resides. In our example, the ‘Desktop’ folder has

been selected (1). The bar at the top of the screen identifies the folder

that was selected (2).

Once you select the correct folder, the importable files that reside in that

folder will be listed. Note that the system knows to only show those files

that are importable. In our example, only one Access file is listed (3). If

you do not see any file listed, insure you have the correct file type

selected (4). An Access database can be one of two file types, MDB or ACCDB.

MDB is an older format, but should still be importable. If you do not see

your database listed, click the dropdown error and select the other file

type. If this doesn’t resolve the problem, you may have misidentified the

folder where the Access database resides.

Once you see the file listed, click it, and insure the file name appears in

the ‘File Name’ box at the bottom of the screen. Click ‘OK’ (5) to complete

the action.

Note: the name of the import files must be either NAVMDS22 or NAVMDS30

according to the older versions being imported.

After ‘OK’ is clicked, the file will be listed on the Import tab screen

(figure 10). Click the ‘Import’ button (1) and follow the prompts. If an

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error results, contact you system administrator or generate a help desk

ticket as your procedures dictate.

Figure 10

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2.8. REPORT TAB

The ‘Report’ tab allows you to print several pre-defined reports. The

‘Current Record’ report is the default, and allows you to view/print a single

personnel record with the associated family members. The ‘Alpha’ report will

allow you to view/print a list of personnel who have not yet departed the

ship, and the ‘Record List’ report will display all personnel for

viewing/printing, including those who have been transferred from the ship.

The report type is selected via the dropdown at the top of the screen (1)

represented in Figure 11.

Figure 11

Figure 11 represents the default report. If you wish to print or view one of

the other reports, select it via the dropdown provided (1). If you want the

default report for a different personnel record, use the Personnel dropdown

(2) to change the record. The Print button (3) allows you to print whichever

report is displayed.

When you change the report to either the ‘Alpha’ or ‘Record List,’ a screen

like that represented in figure 12 displays. The format of these reports is

identical, but the data may be different, as noted previously. If no

personnel in the system have departed the ship, the reports will be

identical.

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Figure 12

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3.1. SYSTEM HELP

As noted previously, the system was developed using Microsoft Access, so any

functionality provided in Access applies. It is not necessary to be familiar

with Access to use the system, but some of the errors you encounter might be

resolvable by referring to Microsoft’s help on the web. If you encounter

errors that you are unable to resolve, refer to your organization’s

procedures for submitting help tickets to the system developer. This will

most likely involve submitting a ticket through the Navy 311 system.

Documents

NAVY POSTAL DIRECTORY SYSTEM - United States … Users Manual.pdfThe Navy Postal Directory System was developed to support Navy post offices ... Describe the processes and functionality