The Related Documents function allows the user to attach electronic files, such as documents, spreadsheets, or images, to their working record. Related documents can also point to a URL (web) shortcut.
🔖 Page Summary
The Page Summary section serves as a quick reference point of the steps, after going through the detailed Step-by-Step Tutorial with screenshots.
📘 Step-by-Step Tutorial
Attaching a Document to a Record
Upload File(s)
Locate the Record to which you want to add a document.
Click on Related Documents under the left View Menu.
The Related Documents View enables users to attach electronic records, such as a documents, spreadsheets, or images from the record on which the user is working.
Click on Edit
Hit Add
to open a New Document.
Click on Browse
Locate the new document on your computer.
Alternatively, you could also drag the document over from your desktop to the No files selected field.
Click Next
at the top-left of your screen
Add Meta Data
Notice in the list of links on the left, we are currently in the Add Meta Data section of the New Document.
The first/top field in this view is the Title field. This will automatically populate with the name of the document that was uploaded. You have the option to change the Title at this time.
The next field is Type or more specifically, Document Type. This is a functional group of documents with a class like General, Image, Invoice, etc. To select your document Type, click the spyglass icon to open the Document Type screen.
Once the Document Type has been selected, you will return to the New Document screen.
The next field down is called Tags. Tags assist the user when they’re performing a search for the document. Add in your tags here (e.g., BILL INVOICE).
Add Attributes
From the Add Meta Data section, you can click Next (top-left corner) to get to the next section, Add Attributes.
Note: Add Attributes is only used occasionally on a document type needing attributes. This field enables the user to sequence, describe, set a data type to either string or number, and state whether or not the attribute is required.
Add Permissions
Click Next again to reach the Add Permissions screen.
Add Permissions assigns roles to the document limiting the users who have access. The Chosen Roles will have access to view and/or editing privileges.
If your system requires permissions to be placed on a document, contact your System Administrator for the appropriate permissions for the Document Type.
To add Permissions, click Load (screenshot, below)
This will populate a list of Roles.
Select each Role you will be adding to Permissions.
When a permission is applied to a document and then SAVED – Only individuals with one of those roles will have access to that document.
Note: If you give a set permissions that don’t include yourself, you will not have access to the document, once saved.
Click Next (top-left)
Attach Button
The Attach button allows you to search for content that has been loaded into AiM.
The Attach button will lead you to a search screen called Select Documents.
You can fill in the appropriate fields to locate the specific document or just click on Execute to see a listing of all available documents.
Once you have selected the document, click Done.
Back in the Related Documents screen, the chosen document will populate on your Document Listing.
Understanding Add versus Attach
To illustrate the difference between Add and Attach, let’s say you have an owner’s manual, and you want to attach it to 5 different Air Handlers.
When the manual has been Added to each Air Handler, what happens when a new manual is released?
👉 Choosing Add would add a copy of the manual to each of the Air Handlers, uploading the document 5 times.
👉 You would have to remove the old copy of the manual and add the new one to every asset individually.
Best Practice - Use Add for the 1st unit and Attach for the other 4
👉 If you Add the manual to the 1st Air Handler, you can then use Attach to the other 4, to link to the same document.
Summary
When you Add the document to the 1st Air Handler, that Adds the document to the AiM system. Then by using Attach for the other units, it will link to the same document.
Remove a Document
From your main Related Documents screen, select the document you wish to remove.
Click Remove
Click Yes
to confirm you want to delete your selection.
Under the Document Listing, the Related Document will no longer be present.
Link an External URL
You can also create a Link between AiM and an External URL.
Click on the Link
button. This will open the Web Link screen.Complete the following fields:
Title - Title of the link
Extra Description - A description of the document. This can include up to 255 characters.
URL - The external web link
Click Done
to return to the Related Documents screen.Click Save
Click Back
to return to your view to the record.