Working with Documents in Tour deForce

WORKING WITH DOCUMENTS

This section helps with:

• Learn how to create new Document items in Tour de Force 
• Understand the purpose of the Tour de Force Document form
• Identify the difference between Linking and Attaching files to Document items in Tour de Force 
• Understand how to access the Tour de Force Document form
• Understand how to work with Document items in Tour de Force

Forms covered in this section:

• Tour de Force Document form

 

Overview

The key to a shorter sales cycle, higher close rates, and improved customer retention is the sharing of information.  Tour de Force is perfect for companies that have multiple salespeople, customer service representatives, and technical support staff that use documents such as Microsoft Word and Excel to share information associated with their prospects, customers, suppliers, and business partners.

 

Tour de Force provides a convenient place to store documents, graphics, and other files associated with Account, Contact, and Opportunity records, as well as items such as Sales Activities, Documents, Expenses, Notes, Tasks, Support Requests, Appointments, and Email messages that need to be accessed quickly.  

 

Accessing attached or linked files is dependent upon the Parent Item the document item was created from. For example, if several Document items are linked to a single Account record all of the files attached to those Document items are viewable from the Attachments menu in the Tour de Force Account form. However, those attachments are not viewable in any of the other forms, unless separate Document items are created for those Records or Items.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overview of the Tour de Force Document Form

The Tour de Force Document form provides one central form where all information associated with Document items in Tour de Force is maintained.  This form is used to create new Document items, as well as to display and edit information associated with the Document items that have been entered into Tour de Force.  

 

 

Document items can also be deleted if the Tour de Force user has permissions to delete these items. When Document items have been changed, the changes are synchronized when users connect to Tour de Force and run the Sync process. Files that are associated with a Document item appear as an attachment or link in the Attachments button.

 

 

 

 

The Tour de Force Document form is divided into five sections:

• The Tour de Force Toolbar
• The Breadcrumb bar
• The Header Control
• Document Information
• Notes

 

 

The Tour de Force Toolbar

 

The Tour de Force Toolbar contains several buttons that can be used in relation to the Document item that is currently open.

 

 

 

There are six buttons located on the Tour de Force Toolbar:

 

• Save – This button saves the Document item and keeps the Tour de Force Document form open.

• Save and Close – This button saves the Document item and closes the Tour de Force Document form.

 

• Close – This button closes the Tour de Force Document form.

 

• Refresh – This button refreshes the Document item.

 

• Attachments – This button is used to add, link, or view any documents attached to the Document item.

 

• Actions – This button is used to create new items that are associated with the Document item.

The Breadcrumb Bar

 

The breadcrumb bar is used to quickly navigate between Parent Item of the Records or Item open. The breadcrumb bar is also used as pathway tracker to view the order in which Records and Items were accessed. Alternative methods for creating and viewing Records and Items can also be used with the breadcrumb bar.

 

 

Right-clicking the Parent Item on the breadcrumb that’s associated with the Document item is a quick way to access the Parent Item associated with the Document item.  

 

For example, when a Document item is associated with an Account record, the Parent Item is the Account record.  If a Document item is associated with a Contact record, the Contact record is the Parent Item.

 

Hold the cursor over the Account record, and then right-click to display the Quick Events menu.  

 

 

This Quick Events menu allows users to quickly open the Parent Item, create new items to associate with the Parent Item using the Actions menu, view items associated with the Parent Item using the Views menu, and open Templates from the Parent Item using the Templates menu.

 

For example, if a Document item is associated with a Contact record, the Actions menu can be used to create an Appointment or a Task item to review an Equipment Specification Sheet with the Contact record.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Header Control

 

The Header Control information such as TDF Key, Owner, Creation, Last Mod Date, and the Active fields that are associated with an Activity item are located at the top of the Tour de Force Document form.  

 

 

There are five fields located in the Header Control:

 

• TDF Key – This field is used to uniquely identify each Document item in Tour de Force.   This field is automatically assigned by the system and cannot be changed.

 

• Owner – This field displays the name of the Tour de Force user that created the Document item.  This field is display only and cannot be changed.

 

• Creation – This field displays the date the Document item was created.  This field is display only and cannot be changed.

 

• Last Mod – This field displays the date the Document item was last modified. This field changes after each save operation inside the item.

 

• Active – This field displays whether the Document item is visible in the Global Search. If this field is False then the Document item does not display in the Global Search.

 

 

 

 

The fourth section of the Tour de Force Document form is used to enter and view information such as the Subject and Category that are associated with a Document item.  

 

 

The fifth section is the Notes section where notes can be added for the Document item.  Adding notes is a quick way to show users what the documents attached or linked consist of, and what relation they have to the Parent Item. Several tasks can be performed using the toolbar associated with the Notes section of the Tour de Force Document form.  

 

 

Difference between Attaching and Linking a Document

In Tour de Force, there are two methods for working with and managing files. These two methods are attaching files and linking files.  Knowing the difference between attaching and linking files to Document items in Tour de Force is extremely important.  

 

Attaching Files

 

When files are attached to a Document item in Tour de Force, a copy of that Document item is created and maintained in the company share folder defined in the Company Preferences utility in Admin Console.  The attached file becomes part of the destination or Document item, and Tour de Force is no longer associated with the file stored on the user’s computer who attached the document.

 

Attaching a file is useful when an online version of a file needs to be viewed by people who normally do not have access to the file.  

 

For example, a company sells heating and air conditioning equipment to residential, commercial, and industrial customers.  This company needs to track the specifications associated with each piece of equipment sold to the customer for service and maintenance requests.  The company can create and associate a Document item in the Tour de Force Document form with the specification sheet attached with each Account record.

 

Any type of file can be attached to a Document item in Tour de Force, and multiple files can be attached.

 

An advantage of Attaching files to a Document item is that files are available to users when connected to the system or when working off-line.  

 

A disadvantage of Attaching files to a Document item is that Tour de Force users do not see any modifications performed on the original document in the file system folder if the document is changed after the file is attached to a Document item.

 

Linking Files

 

When files are linked to a Document item in Tour de Force a link to that file is added in the Attachments menu.  The link opens the file from where the file is located on a system.

 

An advantage of linking a file to Document item is that any changes made to the document changes the document that is linked.  With linking files, a new file does not need to be uploaded every time a change is made. Users of Tour de Force can see the changes reflected to the document. Another advantage is that the file can only be accessed by users with permissions to that file.

 

A disadvantage of linking files to a Document item is that the file is not available to all users. If a file needs to be available to all users of Tour de Force then the file should be attached to a Document item, rather than linked.

 

Attaching a File to a Document Item

There two different methods for adding files to a Record or Item in Tour de Force. One of the methods is attaching a file to a Record or Item. Both methods require the use of the Attachments button which is located on every Tour de Force form. The method for attaching documents is the same regardless of which form is being used.

 

Attaching a file requires a save operation unless the Record or Item has already been created. A copy of the attached file is added to the company share folder and now becomes the source for that file. Opening the file opens the copy of the file located in the company share. Any change made to the original file requires a reattachment of the file.

 

Use the following procedures to attach a file to a Document item in the Tour de Force Document form:

 

1. Access the Tour de Force Document form.

 

2. Type a description of the file in the Subject field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Click the Save button to save the Document item.

 

Note: When creating a new Record or Item the form must be saved before any attachments can be added.

 

 

4. Click the Attachments button and click Add New.

 

 

 

 

5. Locate the file that needs to be attached. After selecting the appropriate file, click the Open button to attach the file to the Document item.

 

 

6. The file is now added to the Attachments menu and can be opened from by selecting the file.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linking a File to a Document Item

Another method for adding a file to a Record or Item is to link a file. However, linking a file does not add a copy of the file into the company share folder. Instead, a link is created to that opens the file when clicked. Any changes made to the linked file automatically updates the file linked to the Record or Item and does not require the file to be reattached.

 

Use the following procedures to link a file to a Document item in the Tour de Force Document form:

 

1. Access the Tour de Force Document form.

 

2. Type a description of the file in the Subject field

 

3. Click the Save button.

 

Note: When creating a new Record or Item the form must be saved before a file can be linked to the Record or Item.

 

4. Click the Attachments button and click Link New.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. In the Notice window click the OK button to begin browsing for the file. To stop the Notice window from displaying check the Stop displaying this message field.

 

 

 

6. Locate the file that needs to be linked. After selecting the appropriate file, click the Open button to link the file to the Document item.

 

 

7. The file is now added to the Attachments menu and can be opened from by selecting the file. However, the file has not been added to the company share folder.

 

Creating a New Document Item from an Account Record

A Document item can be created for any Record or Item in Tour de Force. The Actions button on the Tour de Force Forms can be used to create and link new Document items. The procedure for creating a Document for an Account record can also be used to create A Document item for other Records and Items in Tour de Force.

Use the following procedures to create a new Document item from an Account record:

1. Click the Global Search button.

 

 

2. In the Item Type field select Account.

 

 

3. In the For field type the name or partial name of the Account record that needs to have the Document item created and press the Enter key on the keyboard. The Search button (binoculars) can also be used.

 

 

4. Click the Open Folder icon to open the Account record.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Click the Actions button on the toolbar.

 

 

6. Select New Document from the Actions menu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. In the Subject field type a meaningful subject to describe the Document item.

 

 

8. In the Category field select one of the categories created in the Screen Designer.

 

Note: The Category field is a User Defined Field and the contents of the field are typically created in the initial set up for the forms in Tour de Force.

 

9. In the Notes section type in any notes or information related to the file linked or attached to the Document item.

 

10. Click the Save button.

 

Note: After saving the document the breadcrumb bar shows the pathway and Parent Item and the Header Control updates. When creating a new Record or Item the form must be saved before a file can be linked or attached.

 

 

11. Click the Attachments button and select Add New to add an attachment, or Link New to link a file to the Document item.

 

 

 

12. Locate and select the file that needs to be attached or linked and click the Open button.

 

 

13. The file has now been added to the Attachments menu and can be viewed by selecting the file. A save operation is not necessary after the file has been added.

 

 

 

Creating a Document Item for an Account Record Using the Global Search Utility

A quick way to create a new Document item for Records and Items use the Global Search utility. By changing the Item Type field a new Document item can be created for the item type selected.

 

Use the following procedures to create a Document item for an Account record using the Global Search utility:

 

1. Locate the Account in the grid section of the Global Search form, and then right click the mouse to display the Quick Events menu.

 

2. Select Actions and then New Document on the Quick Events menu.  

 

 

3. Fill out the necessary information for the Document item and click the Save button.

 

4. Attach or link the file required for the Document item and close the Tour de Force Document form.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Viewing Document Items from an Account Record

Use the following procedures to view Document items from an Account record:

1. Access the appropriate Account record.

 

2. Click the Views button and select Documents in the Views menu.

 

 

3. Click the Open Folder button to open the Document item.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. On this form Document items can be created using the Create New button.

 

 

5. Document items can also be deleted from this form using the Delete button.

 

Note: Deleting a Document item also removes the attached and linked items from the Parent Item.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Viewing Document Items for an Account Record from the Global Search Utility

Use the following procedures to view a Document item linked to an Account record from the Global Search utility:

 

1. Locate the Account record that has the Document items that need to be viewed in the Global Search grid.

 

2. Locate the Account record in the grid section of the Global Search form, and then right-click the mouse button to display the Quick Events menu.

 

3. From the Quick Events menu, select View.

 

4. From the View menu, select Documents.

 

 

5. Locate the Document item in the grid section, and then click the Open Folder button.

 

 

 

 

Managing Attachments for Records and Items

Files that have been attached or linked to forms can be removed by using the Manage Attachments function in the Attachments menu. Deleting attached files only removes the file from the company share and the Record or Item the file is attached to. Deleting an attached file does not delete the Document item that the file is attached or linked to.

 

Extra caution needs to be used when deleting a linked file. If the linked file is removed then the source file is also deleted.

 

Use the following procedures to remove an attached file from an Account record:

 

1. Access the Account record that contains the file that needs to be removed.

 

2. Click the Attachments button in the Tour de Force Toolbar.

 

3. Click Manage Attachments in the Attachments menu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Select the file that needs to be deleted and press the delete key on the keyboard.

 

 

5. In the Notice window click the OK button to confirm the deletion. To stop the Notice window from displaying check the Stop displaying this message field.

 

 

6. In the Delete File window click the Yes button to confirm the deletion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. The file has now been removed from the Account record as well as the company share folder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Viewing Attachments Using the Paper Clip Button

A quick way to view files attached to different Records and Items is by using the Linked Record and Item grid and the Paper Clip button. By using the Linked Record and Item grid a file attached to a Contact record can be viewed from the Account record without having to access the Contact record or Document item.

 

Use the following procedures to view an attached file using the Paper Clip button:

 

1. Access the appropriate Account record that contains the Contact record with the attached file.

 

2. In the Linked Record and Item field select Contacts to view all Contact records linked to that Account record.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Click the Paper Clip button next to the Contact record to view all attachments added to that Contact record.

 

 

4. Select the file that needs to be opened.