How do I configure the eCenter left hand menu?
The eCenter left hand menu is controlled and configured via WebCATS.
In this FAQ we will explain how you can either include or exclude certain menu options from the eCenter interface.
Client Signup
The first menu option presented on eCenterDirect allows users in the community to sign up for services with your center. This menu option is displayed only for non-logged in users and it is only shown if one or more centers in your network have configured this option in WebCATS.Many of the eCenter configuration capabilities, including the client sign-up, are found within the Center record. If you are a WebCATS user and you don’t have permission to edit the center record, then you may want to contact your program director or lead WebCATS administrator and discuss your permission settings with them.
Under the eCenter Client Sign-Up option you can allow users to sign up electronically.
By answering YES to the question: “Allow client sign-up at this center?” you are making sure that the Client Sign-up option will appear on the eCenter left hand menu. You should be aware, that even if you answer NO to this question, the option may still appear on eCenter if one of the other regional centers in your network has this option turned on. However, if you turn this option off, and another center in your network has it turned on, then users will only be able to sign up with those centers that have this option turned on.
If you do turn this option on and allow users to sign up on eCenter with your center, then you can also configure the fields that you want users to see and fill out at this time. Fields that are made invisible are not included in the client sign-up form on eCenter. Making a field mandatory means that the user must enter something in order to save their record.
If you want to send a link to the online sign up form to prospective clients or post it on your center’s normal Web site, then you can click on the public link which will provide you with a unique URL that takes the client directly to the sign up form. This is also called a deep link and can be very beneficial if your network of centers is fairly large and you want to make sure that the users sign up specifically with your center.
Training Events
The second menu option on eCenter provides access to your training events. The Training Events menu option will only be available on eCenter if any center within your network has at least one conference event posted to eCenter.
Conferences can be made public on eCenter by configuring the eCenter settings in WebCATS. If at least one conference is posted to eCenter then the menu option will appear.
Library of Documents
You can use eCenter to distribute information to the general community. Documents might include information about your center and the services you offer. Or you might post sample business plans or commonly-used forms. For detailed information on posting documents to eCenter Direct, see the FAQ titled How do I post documents to eCenter Direct?.
Network of Centers
The Network of Centers menu option gives the user access to a listing of all the centers in your network. Only public centers will be included.
By editing the center record you can choose to change the center’s status to public which will expose it on eCenter. In addition to making each center public you can also provide some unique information about each center that will be made available on eCenter. And you can reference each center’s own logo that will be shown on eCenter. Your center’s logo must be 320 pixels wide and at least 64 pixels tall and it must reside in a location that is accessible from anywhere on the internet. If you don’t enter your own custom logo or background image in these fields, then eCenter will use the default logo configured by your lead center.
Useful Links
Last but not least the last menu selection offered on eCenter is called “Useful Links”. Only WebCATS administrators can update this menu selection.
To add useful links to eCenter you will need to be a system administrator with access to the Manage menu option in WebCATS.
For more information on customizing eCenter Direct, view our other popular resources on this topic: