User Guide

BriefSpec

1. Introduction

User Preferences in BriefSpec are the personal settings that apply to you as an individual. They cover your profile details, timezone and date format, appearance theme, password, and session sign-out options. These settings follow you across projects in the same workspace.

This guide explains how to open and update your preferences from the top navigation bar, what each option does, and how personal preferences differ from organization Settings.

2. Personal Preferences vs Organization Settings

BriefSpec keeps personal preferences and organization settings in separate places.

Personal preferences (this guide)

1. Opened from your avatar menu in the top-right navigation (Profile, Change password, Log out).
2. Apply only to your account: name, photo, phone, LinkedIn, resume, timezone, date format, theme, and password.
3. Available to every signed-in user for their own profile.

Organization Settings (not covered here)

1. Opened from the sidebar Settings item (for example Notifications, Tenant Timezone, Work Schedule, Role Privileges, Manage Plan).
2. Controlled by administrators and privilege keys. Changes affect the whole tenant, not just your login.
3. If you need a different company-wide timezone default or notification rule, ask an Application Admin rather than changing My Profile.

3. Accessing Your Preferences

From the avatar menu

1. Click your profile avatar (or initials) in the top-right corner of the navigation bar.
2. Select Profile to open My Profile.
3. Select Change password when the option is shown (accounts that sign in with a password only).
4. Select Log out or Log out of all devices to end your session.
5. Terms of Use opens the BriefSpec terms page in a browser.

Theme toggle

1. Use the sun or moon icon in the top navigation to switch between light and dark appearance.
2. Theme is saved on this browser only and takes effect immediately.

4. My Profile

My Profile is the main place to review and update your personal identity details. Most fields save individually with a check or cancel control after you click the edit (pencil) action.

Profile photo

1. Upload a new photo (PNG, JPEG, or GIF, under 10 MB) or delete the current photo after confirmation.
2. Your photo appears in the navigation bar and on your profile.

Name and identity

1. First name and last name – editable. Save to update your display name across the app.
2. Status – Active or Inactive badge. Display only; you cannot change this yourself.
3. Role – your tenant role display name. Display only.
4. Created on – account creation date. Display only.
5. Email – read-only. Contact an administrator if your sign-in email must change.

Contact and professional details

1. Phone – editable mobile number with international format support.
2. LinkedIn URL – add or edit your professional profile link.
3. Resume – upload, view, or delete your resume file. Upload and delete are applied immediately.

5. Timezone and Date Format

Your personal timezone and date format control how dates and times appear for you after you log in. They do not change the tenant default used by other users.

Setting your preference

1. Open My Profile and find the Timezone section.
2. Click Edit, choose your timezone (IANA zone), and optionally choose a date format.
3. Click Save. A success message confirms that your timezone was saved.

Clearing your preference

1. Use Clear to remove your personal timezone and date format.
2. After clearing, BriefSpec uses the tenant default timezone when one is configured; otherwise a resolved fallback applies.

Note shown in the product: This timezone and date format are used only for your preference in this app when you log in.

6. Theme (Light and Dark)

1. Toggle light or dark mode from the sun or moon control in the top navigation.
2. The choice is stored in this browser. Switching devices or browsers may show a different theme until you set it again.
3. Theme does not sync through My Profile or organization Settings.

7. Change Password

If your account signs in with a password, Change password appears in the avatar menu.

1. Enter your current password, then enter and confirm a new password.
2. Follow the on-screen password rule checklist before saving.
3. Use show or hide controls if you need to verify what you typed.
4. On success, BriefSpec confirms the change and closes the dialog. You remain signed in on this device.
5. If Change password is not listed, your account may use a sign-in method without a local password (for example SSO). Contact an administrator for password or identity help.

MFA enrollment and management are not available from My Profile. Multi-factor steps, when required, appear during sign-in or password reset flows.

8. Signing Out

Log out

1. Ends the session on this device and returns you to the login page.

Log out of all devices

1. Ends every active session for your account in this workspace after you confirm.
2. Use this if you left BriefSpec open on another computer or suspect an unwanted session.

9. Table Column Preferences

On many project grids, you can save which columns are visible and in what order. These layouts are personal preferences scoped to you, the project, and the screen.

1. Adjust column visibility or order from the grid toolbar.
2. Use Save column preferences (or the equivalent Save control) so the layout returns the next time you open that screen.
3. Reset options restore visibility, order, or both to the default for that screen.

10. What Is Not a Personal Preference

The following are organization or module settings, not My Profile options:

1. Notification rules (who is emailed for test cycles, defects, phases, and related events) – Settings > Notifications.
2. Tenant timezone and date format default – Settings > Tenant Timezone.
3. Work Schedule templates and holidays – Settings > Work Schedule.
4. Role Privileges, Manage Plan, SSO, Software Management, and Project Templates – administrator Settings areas.
5. Language or locale picker – not available as an end-user preference in the current product.

11. Tips

1. Set your personal timezone early so dates on dashboards, time entry, and notifications match how you work.
2. Keep your name and photo current so teammates recognize you on assignments and comments.
3. Use Log out of all devices after using a shared computer.
4. Do not confuse the sidebar Settings item with My Profile – Settings is for tenant administration.
5. If email is wrong on your profile, ask an Application Admin; email cannot be edited from My Profile.

12. Important Notes

1. Email is read-only on My Profile.
2. Theme is browser-local and is not stored on the server profile.
3. Clearing timezone reverts you to the tenant default when one exists.
4. Change password appears only when password login is enabled for your account.
5. Personal notification mute or digest preferences are not available; notification delivery is governed by tenant Notification Settings.

Appendix A: Quick Reference

A.1 Where to find each preference

1. Profile photo, name, phone, LinkedIn, resume, timezone, date format – Avatar > Profile.
2. Theme – sun or moon toggle in the top navigation.
3. Password – Avatar > Change password (when shown).
4. Sign out – Avatar > Log out or Log out of all devices.
5. Column layouts – Save / Reset controls on project grids.

A.2 Related administrator settings

1. Settings > Tenant Timezone – organization default used when a user has no personal timezone.
2. Settings > Notifications – organization email and in-app notification rules.
3. Settings > Role Privileges – who can open tenant Settings areas.

Appendix B: Glossary

1. My Profile – personal identity and preference dialog opened from the avatar menu.
2. Personal timezone – your IANA timezone preference for displaying dates and times after login.
3. Tenant timezone – organization default timezone configured under Settings.
4. Theme – light or dark appearance stored in the current browser.
5. Column preferences – saved personal column visibility and column display order for a project screen.