Question

Document available on all screens for a user.

  • 12 May 2020
  • 6 replies
  • 286 views

Userlevel 2
Badge +6

I have an end user that would like to have a note or document available to them no matter the screen they are on? Is there a way to attach a document to the user so that it is always there for reference? The document is currently a spreadsheet referenced outside IFS.


6 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +21

jhainsworth,

I don’t think that is possible.

There are a number of alternatives I would say:

  • A second screen that shows the document
  • A larger screen with left or right the document and on other side IFS
  • Old school method: print the spreadsheet and have it available on the desk
  • Is the spreadsheet really for every screen? If so sticky notes is something, but, LARGE but, the sticky note has to be applied to all objects and when a new object (sales order, invoice, inventory part,...) is prepared, the sticky note should be automatically attached. The sticky note will be there for every user at that moment.

Maybe someone has another alternative,

Steve

Userlevel 2
Badge +6

Steve,

Your right is isn’t really needed for “every” screen but would be nice to have an a number of them for the order and sales team.

We may continue with the external spreadsheet. Just wondering if there was a way it could be controlled within IFS document management.

Userlevel 7
Badge +28

@jhainsworth 

I can think of a couple of ways you might try this.

Create a user shortcut to the file in their own documents folder or a local network.  Set the shortcut under whichever folder they would want to be able to access this from the navigator.

Create Shortcut
 
Navigator view

Now the problem is that because it is a spreadsheet and their Windows default program settings will override IFS, the document is going to open in Excel each time, but they can get to it from a shortcut within IFS that could be a different reference sheet for each department, but it isn’t going to hover over top of IFS - like a floating sticky would,  But the sticky is object and context sensitive, this sheet wouldn’t be.

 

Alternately, create an HTML based version of the spreadsheet, then host it on a website, use the URL for the document as the shortcut from the navigator, then as long as the HTML can be rendered within IEE, you could see this as a window directly in IFS.  Again, not floating over another object, but a recent screen nonetheless.

Web link presented in IFS
IFS View

 

Or it could be a DocMan object that is opened from a Document Revision link to the document, but then it has to be stored and maintained within IFS.

 

Regards,

Shawn

Userlevel 7
Badge +30

Hi,

Yes, this is possible, by using what is called Object Connection Transformation, or OCT for short. You have it already if you have IFS Apps 8 or later.

You need to setup one OCT rule per object type (Customer, Invoice, Company, Inventory Part, etc.) where you want to see the same document(s), but the rule can be the same, and it is very simple.

Since I am a lazy person I will share here what I shared in an internal discussion in IFS just some week back:

Let me know if there are any questions about this approach. If you need more help setting this up than what we can give here, don’t hesitate to contact IFS support about it.

/Mathias

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +30

PS. Above, the document needs to be checked in to IFS, of course. Or at least a link to it has to be checked in (a link to a website that has it would work). You could also have a “dummy” document in Docman, and a macro could then be used, when the user “view” the document, to fetch the real one, wherever it is placed. But, why not keep all documents in Docman, eh?

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +30

I have an end user that would like to have a note or document available to them no matter the screen they are on? Is there a way to attach a document to the user so that it is always there for reference? The document is currently a spreadsheet referenced outside IFS.

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Thanks!

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