Sketch Metadata

Sketch Metadata enables LINQ users to define content about the sketches they are creating.

Sketches are provided with a default set of metadata which has been provided to capture a base level of content to assist in sketch description and search across an enterprise.

LINQ Admins may extend the properties to be captured using the SKETCH METADATA option from the Organisation Settings screen:

Administrators may then add custom properties (text, number, pick list, yes/no or URL) which will become visible in any sketch created within the organisation:

These properties may then be completed against any sketch from the LINQ Explorer:

The Edit Sketch Info button (highlighted above) launches the editor where the Sketch Metadata may be entered:

The ability to edit Sketch Properties is based on the permission levels applied to the sketch.

This dialogue also provides the mechanism to progress sketches from local draft copies to authoritative content which is viewable by everyone in the organisation.

A Status of Draft and Visibility of Confidential is the default setting for new sketches before they are shared with any other LINQ Editor.

Status of Normal is used to indicate that a sketch may be shared with others as it contains nothing sensitive. This may be used as a precursor to sharing with the Organisation as Authoritative content.

When Organisation Authoritative sketches are Shared outside the organisation using SEND A COPY - EXTERNAL, the sketch permissions are also copied. This means that sketches will appear in the Organisation filter so should be manually managed by the recipient if the status should be different.

Sketch Metadata can be viewed within the sketch canvas using the INFO button in the toolbar:

Organisation Sketches

LINQ now provides a process for elevating sketches to Authoritative Organisational content. The Sketch Info box, accessed from LINQ Explorer drives this capability.

Any owner of a sketch may change the sketch status to Proposed Organisation.

These sketches then appear in the PROPOSED filter within Explorer:

Only LINQ Administrators can then elevate a Proposed Organisation sketch to an Authoritative Organisation sketch using the Sketch Info dialog. At this point, the sketch is visible to every user in the Organisation using the ORGANISATION filter in Explorer:

It is envisaged that organisations will want to create sketch governance policies to ensure that authoritative content is created, assessed and managed appropriately within LINQ.

Any user can access Authoritative content and use this as the basis for new sketches, or to create changes which will then flow the same process to ensure content is kept up to date.

Sketch Searching

Any content captured in Sketch Info is available for searching using the Search tool in LINQ Explorer:

Searches are maintained as other filters are used and are also remembered within the current LINQ usage session as you navigate between Explorer and the Canvas.

Organisation Palette

The Organisation Palette is the new container for nodes which represent organisation assets which have been defined by the business. These organisation nodes may contain specific properties which accelerate their use within Sketches.

LINQ now supports the creation of the organisation palette, the customisation of nodes within the organisation palette and the update of organisation nodes used in Authoritative Organisation sketches if the organisation node is updated.

It is envisaged that People, Systems, Organisation Outcomes and Information Outputs will be the primary entities created at this level by the business as these represent assets which should have some consistency applied in the way they are described.

Only LINQ Administrators have access to the Organisation Palette editor and only one Administrator can be editing the palette at any one time.

Creating the Organisation Palette

The Organisation Palette is accessed from the COG menu in the LINQ Canvas:

When you click Edit, you have the ability to create or import nodes into the organisation palette:

If you see a padlock next to Edit, it means that the palette is locked by another Administrator. The pop-up will explain the nature of the lock and if you are able to break it to start an Edit session yourself.

Adding new nodes to the Organisation Palette

Add Node allows you to use the node palette to create a new organisation node:

Once a node type is chosen, you can complete the properties for the node using the Node Properties form:

Importing Nodes into the Organisation Palette

IMPORT NODES enables the import of nodes into the organisation palette from a specified CSV template downloadable from the dialog:

Custom Properties included in the import CSV must be defined in the Organisation Palette using the PALETTE PROPERTIES dialogue before the import takes place.

Extending Organisation Node Properties

Custom Properties can be added to any node type from the PALETTE PROPERTIES dialog:

These properties will automatically be applied to nodes of the specified type and are accessible in the canvas to people using organisation nodes.

Using Organisation Nodes in a Sketch

The ORG PALETTE is available to all LINQ Editors and Administrators as a tab alongside the default PALETTE in the canvas:

These nodes can be added to the canvas in the same way as default nodes. Simply drag them onto the canvas to make use of them. Organisation nodes are shown with a small dot in the bottom right hand corner:

Depending upon the type of custom property created will determine if they can be edited by the Editor in the canvas or not. For example, pick list, or properties with choices may be edited, but core properties, such as hourly rate, are not editable within the canvas.

Org nodes react in the same way as regular nodes in that they can be copied through the sketch and will also take on any sketch level custom properties created by the Editor.

Within the Organisation Palette application, sketches which contain organisation nodes will be displayed and can be accessed directly from the Node Usage menu:

If an organisation node is edited within the NODE PALETTE, those edits will be applied to organisation nodes which are used in any sketch within the organisation. For example, if a person’s hourly rate is updated, all representations of that node in all sketches will automatically have the hourly rate for that person updated.