MC Express system administration

System Administrators can tailor MC Express to suit the needs of their organization and their Members. This article briefly outlines the browser recommendations for MC Express, and explains how to navigate to the proper areas in the Main Application (MRO) to set up MC Express access rights, permissions, and preferences.

Keep in mind that the permissions and preferences mentioned in this article are far from exhaustive. Please take a look at the MC Express Implementation and Administration Guide. Though the article is outdated in some regards, it is still a helpful reference guide and it provides thorough tables describing MC Express permissions and preferences.

Recommended Browsers by Device

Which Devices Work Best with MC Express?

There are a lot of factors to consider in choosing a mobile device for technicians to use in the field. MC Express functions well with most devices on the market, especially when using the recommended browser for each device, as given above. Because of this flexibility, choosing the best device for your organization's needs may come down to the practical question of device size. This table offers a few considerations for how a mobile device's size may affect technicians' operation of MC Express in the field:

Large tablets (10+ inch screen) iPad
PROS	CONS
Easier to see data on screen, including documents and attachments Easier to type Auto Dictation - talk to text Easier overall accessibility and navigation of the Main Application (MRO) when required	Not as portable for technicians in the field Easier to damage the larger screen
Small tablets (8 to 9 inch screen) iPad Mini, Lenovo Tab 7 Essential, Kindle Fire
PROS	CONS
Portability - may fit in a technician's pocket Large enough to see information easily Adequate overall accessibility and navigation of the Main Application (MRO) when required Auto Dictation - talk to text Time In / Time Out functionality is easy to use	Often not as portable for technicians in the field Easier to damage the larger screen May have limited ability to view documents and attachments
Phones and small mobile devices (>8 inch screen) iPhone, Android, Windows Phone
PROS	CONS
Portability - should fit in a technician's pocket 2-in-1 functionality - phone + MC Express Typically connected to a data network or Wifi. Auto Dictation - talk to text Time In / Time Out functionality is easy to use	Harder to see data on screen because of small size Limited ability to view documents and attachments More difficult to type Easier to lose or misplace

Granting Access and Permissions for MC Express

Administrators set up access and permissions for users in the Main Application (MRO), using the Members and Access Groups modules.

Member Settings

To grant users access to MC Express, navigate to the desired Member record in the Main Application (MRO):

The Member's Access Group should reflect the access rights desired for the Member, as is described in more detail below:

Select the Applications lookup to define which applications the Member will be allowed to access:

To limit Members to only access MC Express, set their application access to R - Service Requester. This ensures they cannot log into the Main Application (MRO), but that they have access to MC Express (and the Service Requester if you use this at your organization).
To allow access to the Main Application (MRO) and MC Express, set this field to MGR - Maintenance, Repair, & Operations WorkCenter or MGRD - MRO Work Center (Direct).
To allow access to the Technician Work Center and MC Express, set this field to TWC - Technician WorkCenter or TWCRPT - Technician WorkCenter/Reporter.

Repair Center and Accessible Locations

Repair Center restrictions assigned to Access Groups are honored in MC Express. Users will only see data from Repair Centers to which they have access. It should be noted that users with access to only one Repair Center cannot see Repair Center controls in MC Express, thus simplifying the user experience.

Accessible Locations tied to a Labor record are also honored in MC Express. Users with access to specific locations will only have access to Assets and Work Orders from those locations.

Access Group Permissions

MC Express offers numerous permissions to set up which features users have access to. To set up these permissions, navigate to the Access Groups module, and select the Rights tab for the appropriate Access Group record:

Select System - MC Express from the Module list:

To view MC Express features for which to enable/disable access, select the Access option from the Type list:

A quick glance at the available options shows how much the application can be tailored appropriately to the Access Group:

MC Express Preferences

MC Express has numerous preferences to allow Administrators to tailor the end-user experience. This is especially valuable in MC Express, since users are often accessing the application from small-screen devices that benefit from a customized display.

Select the Preferences option from the Tools menu to access MC Express preferences:

Select the MC Express option from the Module/Category pane:

The MC Express preferences will display, organized by several different categories. These preferences determine the timeout parameter for a MC Express session, barcoding setup, and much more:

Note: Various Preferences defined for the Main Application (MRO) are also honored in MC Express. It will be especially helpful to set up the Barcode preferences with regard to how your technicians use barcodes in the field with MC Express. Further, be sure to check out the Barcode Support article for a deeper dive into setting up barcodes for MC Express:

LoginHub and MC Express

For those organizations that utilize the MC LoginHub Sync tool and have purchased our mobile platform, MC Express, there are a few options to integrate LoginHub into the MC Express login process. This article will provide the technical perspective as well as the options that are available for users of LoginHub and MC Express.

Technical Background

When the LoginHub Sync tool is installed, the Maintenance Connection desktop application utilizes code to determine the identity of the user currently logged onto the computer attempting to access MC. This code identifies the Windows account and then polls the MC database for a match. If a match is found, the user is automatically logged into Maintenance Connection with their unique rights and permissions. If no match is found, the user is denied access to MC.

Currently, the demands of cross-browser compatibility prevent MC Express users from enjoying true Single Sign On (SSO) capability. However, users do not need to forfeit their desktop SSO capability in order to also use MC Express. Using the steps below, a user can continue to access MC on their desktop via SSO and also use their same MC account to connect to MC Express from their mobile device

How to Use LoginHub with MC Express

Although the mobile version of MC Express is not currently compatible with the LoginHub Sync tool, members can enter their LoginHub credentials (Member ID, Password) at the MC Express Login screen, or administrators can set up separate credentials for members to access MC Express. To set up separate credentials:

Set the LDAP/LoginHub Sync tool to not override user passwords in the Configure Service Settings window:

In IIS, the Default Document will need to be changed for the 'mcx' (MC Express) site. 'Default_SSO.aspx' will need to be added to the Default Document. Then, once you access the MC Express site, you should be logged in automatically:

Utilize the 'Password Managment' tool to set the designated Member's password:

Enter the applicable member credentials at the MC Express login screen and select the Remember Me? option. This will retain the Member ID value when returning to the MC Express login screen but will still require the user to re-enter the set password:

Note: When utilizing the advanced option for logging into MC Express via LoginHub, the Members will still maintain the ability to log into the Main Application (MRO) automatically.

Please check out the rest of the MC Express Quick Reference articles, so that you can continue familiarizing yourself with the basics of the application: