seeddms-code/languages/English/help.htm

<h1>General Notes</h1>

<p>
A DMS (Document Management System) is designed to share documents,
controlling the workflow, access permissions and organization in general.
</p>

<p>
Using the first level menu the user can access the various information stored in the system:
<ul>
<li>Content: allows you to browse documents in a file manager style.
<li>My documents: has several entries to access documents of interest:
<ul>
<li>Documents in process: lists of documents awaiting review or approval by the user,
documents owned by the user who await approval or revision, documents locked by the user.
<li>All documents: list of all documents owned by the user.
<li>Review summary: list all the documents that were reviewed or awaiting review by the user.
<li>Approval summary: list all the documents that were approved or awaiting approval by the user.
</ul>
</ul>
</p>

<p>
This DMS  also provides a calendar that serves as virtual bulletin board to share notes,
appointments, deadlines and commitments.
</p>


<h1>Permissions</h1>

<p>
Authorized users can set if and how other users will access to various folders
and documents submitted.
</p>

<h2>Permission levels</h2>
<p>
The possible access-levels are:
<ul>
<li>Total permits: the user can perform any operation.
<li>Reading and writing: the user can update records and add content to the folders.
<li>Read only: the user can view the contents of folders and download documents.
<li>No Access: the user cannot view the contents of the folders or individual documents.
</ul>
</p>

<p>
By default administrators have total permissions on each document and folder
on the system. Similarly, the document owner has total permits on his documents.
</p>

<p>
Only administrator users can change the owner of a document.
</p>

<h2>Permissions management</h2>
<p>
For each folder or document permissions are managed through two different devices
<ul>
<li>The default permissions are valid in the absence of further specific
<li>The list of permissions allows you to specify exceptions to the default permissions
</ul>
</p>

<h2>Access inheritance</h2>
<p>
The permissions of folders and documents can be set as hereditary.
In this case the files and folders inherit the same permissions of the folder
that contains them.
</p>


<h1>Documents workflow</h1>

<p>
The system automatically handles the workflow for each document and stores
changes, versioning, comments made, etc.
</p>

<h2>Validation cycle</h2>
<p>
The normal workflow requires, when loading a new document or a
new version, to indicate some users or groups of users as reviewers and/or approvers.
Users that are listed as reviewers and approvers are
required to explain their approval to the document. When this operation
is completed, thus all listed users have made their
review/approval, the state of the document will set to 'released'.
</p>

<p>
The reviewer/approver can deny its approval to the document.
In this case the document state is set to 'rejected'.
</p>

<p>
A doc that are not set reviewers and approvals take immediately the state of 'released'.
</p>

<p>
As approvers/reviewers one can indicate groups of users. In this case the
review/approval should be made by any of the users belonging to the group.
</p>

<p>
The document owner may at any time amend the list of reviewers/approvers.
</p>

<h2>Documents status</h2>
<p>
Possible states for a document are:
<ul>
<li>Draft pending approval: one or more of the approvals referred to have not yet expressed their approval.
<li>Draft pending review: one or more of the listed reviewer have not yet expressed their review.
<li>Released: the document has successfully completed its validation cycle.
<li>Rejected: the document has discontinued its validation cycle.
<li>Expired: you have exceeded the target date for completion of the validation of the document.
<li>Obsolete: the status of a released document can be changed to obsolete. This
is intended as an alternative to the cancellation of the document. Obsolete state
is reversible.
</ul>
</p>

<h2>Expiration</h2>
<p>
For each document in production can be set a due date.
Once passed the day set are no longer possible revisions or approvals
and the document goes into an 'expired' state.
</p>

<p>
The deadline is considered only for the latest version of the document
and has effect only on document processing.
</p>


<h1>Other features</h1>

<h2>Lock function</h2>
<p>
Lock function is designed to indicate to other users that a certain document
is in process. Users having total permission on the document can
however reverse the lock and proceed to a modification of the document.
</p>

<h2>Notifications</h2>
<p>
Each user can request notification on documents and folders.
Adding a file or folder in your list of notifications you will receive
reporting of transactions by other users.
</p>

<p>
Only the Manager of a group can decide whether or not to enter the group list
reporting on documents and folders. Once inserted, the notifications come
all members of the group.
</p>

<h2>Keywords and search</h2>
<p>
Each document allows the inclusion of a description and some keywords.
These informations are used for research function.
</p>
<p>
In personal account menu each user can store a set of keywords grouped by categories,
in order to speed filling during the loading of documents.
</p>

<p>
Pressing the search button without entering any word you access the advanced research page.
</p>


<h2>Calendar</h2>

<p>
There are three views: by week, month, year. Events are displayed in order of their
insertion in the calendar.
</p>

<p>
Once inserted, the events are public and visible to everyone. Only the administrator
and who has entered the event can modify it later.
</p>