Timeline zones show when significant events have occurred in the past and when significant events will occur in the future. For example, a timeline can show when payments and forms have been received for a taxpayer.
The topics in this section describe the rich functionality available in timeline zones.
Timelines Zones Are Configured By Your Implementation Team
Your implementation team controls the number and type of timeline zones you see on this page. Refer to Configuring Timeline Zones for how to add and change timeline zones.
The Anatomy Of A Timeline Zone
The following illustration highlights the various elements in a timeline zone. These elements are described in the remaining topics.
You Can Move Through Time
You can click the controls at the top of a timeline zone to change the date-range of the zone's information:
The following points describe how to use these controls:
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To reposition the timeline to a specific date, selected the desired month and year and click the search button.
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To go back one year, click the double-left arrow.
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To go back one month, click the single-left arrow.
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To go to today, click the red line (between the arrows).
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To go forward one month, click the single-right arrow.
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To go forward one year, click the double-right arrow.
Timelines Can Have Many Lines
A timeline zone has one or more "lines" that show when significant events have occurred. For example, you can set up a timeline zone that has two lines: one that shows when payments have been received from a taxpayer, and another that shows when bills have been sent to the taxpayer. Your implementation team controls the number and type of lines by configuring the timeline zone accordingly.
Each Line Shows Events
Each line on a timeline may contain zero or more events where each event shows the date when the event occurs. For example, the tax form line in a timeline has a separate event for every tax form received for the taxpayer. Each line's description contains the number of events on the line.
If a line has more events than can fit onto a timeline, the line will show the first "chunk" of events and a message will appear in the "more info area" explaining that some events have been truncated. If this happens and the truncated events are in a latter period, you can reposition the timeline's base period to show the truncated events. Refer to Timeline Zone for more information
An Event's Color And Icon Can Convey Information About The Event
Your implementation team can configure the timeline so different types of events have different visual representations. For example, a timeline that shows when audit cases have occurred can use different colors and/or icons to visually differentiate between fraud related audit cases vs. other types of audit cases.
An Event's Hover-Text Can Contain Additional Information
If you hover the mouse over an event, hover text appears. Each type of event can have different hover text. For example, the hover text for an audit case shows significant dates in the audit case's lifecycle (e.g., when it was created, and when it was closed).
Clicking On An Event Shows More Information In The Detail Area
When you click on an event, additional information appears in the zone's detail area (at the bottom of the zone). The following information may appear:
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The event's common "information string" appears. For example, if you click on a tax form event, the tax form's information string appears. This information is hyperlinked to allow for easy access to the transaction on which the object is maintained.
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Additional information may appear. For example, if you click on a bill that has been canceled and rebilled after it was initially sent to the taxpayer, information about the net result of the changes appears.???
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BPA scripts that can be executed to perform business processes on the object. For example, if you click on a bill event, BPA scripts may appear that can guide you through initiating a bill dispute or canceling the bill. Note, BPA scripts are prefixed with the "wizard's hat" icon. ???