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Setup and Configuration
Initial setup
This section describes the tasks to be performed before Pims Document Control module can be used on a new installation. The following registers must be populated before entry of documents can commence. All registers listed below can be edited and new entries can/must be entered during the entire project.
Assets Setup
Plant value is highest level of document categorization in Pims DC. One Plant can be used in more than one Domain which makes Plant a cross-domain entity. All plant-related and domain-independent settings are configured in DCS Asset Setup form. A plant can be linked to the current domain by selecting New Record in this form and choosing a Plant to add from the lookup. It is important to understand that not a new, but already existing Plant will be added to the current domain so, changing any settings of the added plant will affect other domains and modules the plant is used in.
It is also possible to create a new plant in the linking dialog, but make sure that you are not creating a duplicate. When creating a new plant you have to select a domain where you want to store this plant. Plant domain is used for controlling modification permissions, but all plant settings are visible to everyone in any domain using this plant. All DC-related plant settings can be configured in this form from any domain by users having permissions to modify related tables in the plant's domain. An overview of plants and their domains is available in Assets Plants form (Asset Mgmt module).
There are a few restrictions with registering plants to do with domain types. In Site Modification domains, users are only allowed to select existing plants, while in Asset domains plants can only be created. In Project and Contract domains, both options are available. If the domain does not have a type set, then both options are disabled.
Document Numbering Schemes
Documents are identified by a Document ID unique on a given project, which can contain several attribute codes of this document, delimited by separator symbols. Rules for defining a Document ID are called a Numbering Scheme. Numbering Schemes are registered in “Document Numbering Schemes” tab and are assigned to document groups/types combinations.
The tab consists of 2 panels. The upper panel is for registering numbering schemes. The parts defining the selected numbering scheme are registered in the lower panel. Based on these fields, their length and the separators after them, the Document ID will be generated.
Document IDs are created in the following order:
number part(s), separator after last part, sequential number, sheet separator (optional), sheet sequential number (optional)
The table below provides a detailed description of the fields in the grid “Numbering Schemes”:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Numbering Scheme | Name of the numbering scheme |
| Sequential Number Position | Define the part number where your sequential number will be placed. 0 (default) means that seq. no. will be placed in the end of number. Sheet number, if enabled, follows sequential number |
| Sequential Number Length | Length of the sequential number part in digits |
| Sheet Separator | Separator used for delimiting a sheet number (if any) |
| Sheet Number Length | Length of the sheet number in digits (if any) |
| Sequential Part Separator | Separator after sequential part (Seq. No. and Sheet No., if set). Useful if your sequential part is not the last part |
| Sheet Mandatory | Numbering scheme requires sheet number to be defined |
| Validate Document ID | Document ID (when entered) is validated against Document Numbering Scheme |
“Length” fields set the number of digits for the Sequential Number and Sheet Number of Document ID. E.g. if it is set to 4 then last part of first Document ID automatically generated by wizard will be 0001 and it will be 001 if set to 3.
The table below provides a detailed description of the fields in the grid “Number Parts”:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Part No | Order of the numbering scheme part in the document ID |
| Field Label | Label text of the numbering scheme part in the New Document wizard (if empty, field name is used) |
| Field Name | Documents attribute field to save the value into |
| Separator | Separator symbol used after the numbering scheme part in document ID* |
| Length | Length of the numbering scheme part in document ID* |
| Lookup View Name | Name of a database view from which the lookup values will be taken in the New Document wizard |
| Lookup Value Member | The value field from the selected lookup view saved to the database after choosing a record in the lookup NB: make sure to use lookup columns which match the data type and size of the fields that are being set and contain distinct values. An example of a column that shouldn't be used is the Description column as it's very likely to contain a value too large to fit in the selected field which would cause errors when creating documents. |
| Lookup Display Member | The displayed field from the selected lookup view after choosing a record in the lookup |
| Depends on | Another part's field name in this numbering scheme which is to be used as filter for the selected part's lookup in the New Document wizard (optional) |
| Lookup Filter Member | Field name in the selected lookup view to apply filter value of the dependency field to |
*In a number part you can enter either Separator or Length, but not both. This is needed for the system to be able to read numbers and validate them against numbering schemes. If Field Name is not taken from lookup, or if Length is set to 0, DCS will not enforce equivalent values in metadata fields.
- When Separator is used you will get the full code selected in Lookup Value Member with separator at the end in this number part of Document ID.
- When Length is used you will get specified number of symbols from the code in Lookup Value Member in this number part of Document ID. When using length, you must ensure that all codes for this numbering part have the defined length.
Document Types
Document Types can be created, modified or removed in this tab. When creating new types, its important to remember that they need to be added to document groups before they can be used to create new documents.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Document Type | Name of the document type |
| Description | Description of the document type |
| Apply to All Documents Groups | Types that have this setting enabled will be automatically added to new document groups |
| Is Obsolete | Used to indicate that a type is no longer being used. Types that have this setting enabled can't be selected when creating a new documents |
Tag Statuses
This is a setup of available statuses for the Tags. Four main statuses should be added to each Plant: Planned, Reserved, In Use and Deleted.
Domain Configuration
All domain-specific settings are grouped in "DCS Configuration" app.
Clicking the "Setup Domain" button will open a dialog with some quick ways to configure your current domain.
Initialize Domain with default values
The domain will be initialized with the minimum settings needed to start using the DCS module. As this option overwrites all settings with their default values, it should be used before making any other changes as they will be overwritten.
Copy from another Domain
DCS setup will be copied from chosen domain to current domain. This is the fastest method to setup a new domain if you already have a working or a template domain.
Copy plant settings from another domain
Domain dependent plant settings (e.g. Document Groups Settings and Document Types Settings) will be copied from chosen source plant and domain to specified plant of current domain. Domain dependent plant settings can be copied inside domain as well as between domains.
Manual Setup
If you don't have a template domain or just want to setup the new domain manually you can do this in "DCS Configuration" app. The app contains a project-specific (not plant-related) list of all registers provided by the system for listing valid values of documents attributes. The "DCS Configuration" app also contains setups that impacts behavior of the system (e.g. templates, codes, schemes etc.).
Register general settings, correspondence and transmittals numbering schemes and templates. Note that some of these options are highly technical and should be edited only by a trained Pims administrator.
Statuses
Review Statuses
When configuring possible review statuses for a domain you can refer system review statuses to them. System review statuses determine the actions that will be taken after a review is finalized. Setting up a review status without referring a system review status will not force any specific actions to be made once a review is finalized with that status.
| System Code | Description |
|---|---|
| Accepted | The review is completed without any comments |
| Comments | The review is completed with comments and should be internally distributed |
| Rejected | The review is rejected with comments and the document needs to be submitted for a new review |
| NotReviewed | The review is finalized without a review being carried out. |
| ContinuousUpdating | The review is a part of a document's continuous updating, and the document needs to be submitted for a new review |
Review Response Comments Statuses
Depending on domain and contract settings, after a review has been finished, contractors may be able to set statuses for each of that review's comments. These statuses are used to indicate the actions that a contractor has taken or intends to take in regards to particular comments. Statuses can be customized per Pims instance, but their functionality/meaning depends on the underlying system statuses. The following is a list of available system statuses:
| System Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Disputed | The contractor believes the comment (or at least part of it) to be incorrect and will not take action on it. NB: Statuses that use this system status will only be available for selection if the "Enable Review Comments Disputing" domain setting is enabled. |
| Implement(ed) | The contractor agrees with the comment and has either implemented its suggestions or intends to do so. |
| No Change | The comment does not require changes to be made. |
While new statuses can be created, there can be only one active status per system status at a time. As such it is recommended to set statuses as obsolete before adding their replacements. Setting a status as obsolete will prevent it from showing up as an option in review comment replies, but still allow it to be submitted and processed if some contractors were actively working with the old statuses before they were made obsolete. If a status is deleted, it will no longer be selectable or submittable.
Action Types
Settings related to users' action types can be configured in this tab. Every action type belongs to one of the System Workflows which shows the parts of the system where specific action types are used.
Correspondence Numbering Scheme
Pims DC supports only one scheme for correspondence, which is similar to document numbering schemes, but is domain-specific.
The table below provides a detailed description of the fields in the “Correspondence Numbering Scheme” tab:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Part No | Sequence number of the numbering scheme’s part |
| Field label | Label text of the numbering scheme’s part in the New Correspondence wizard |
| Field name | Correspondence attribute to save values into |
| Separator | Separator used after the numbering scheme’s part in Correspondence ID |
| Length | Length of the numbering scheme’s part in Correspondence ID |
| Limit from start | Indicates to include number of symbols (defined in Length) of lookup value from the beginning or from the end of string |
| Lookup view name | The name of a database view from which the lookup will be generated in the New Correspondence wizard |
| Lookup display member | The displayed field after choosing a value from the lookup |
| Lookup value member | The value saved to the database after choosing a value from the lookup NB: make sure to use lookup columns which match the data type and size of the fields that are being set and contain distinct values. An example of a column that shouldn't be used is the Description column as it's very likely to contain a value too large to fit in the selected field which would cause errors when creating correspondence. |
| Depends on | Another field's name in the numbering scheme which is to be used as filter for the selected part's lookup in the New Correspondence wizard (optional) |
| Lookup filter member | Field name in the selected lookup view to apply filter value of the dependency field |
It is possible to put a code into both Document ID and Correspondence ID that is not an attribute of the profile being created e.g. sub-project. To enable this, you can just type a value in the Field Name column that is not present in the list and setup the other parameters normally. The Value Member of such numbering part will be used in the ID generated, but will not be inserted into the newly created profile.
If a numbering scheme part has just one value available in its Lookup View then the field will be rendered as a "constant" - the value is automatically selected and not changeable.
Correspondence ID Sequential Number of DigitsNumber of digits in sequential number (the last part) of auto-generated Correspondence ID. This part is auto-incremented when other parts are equal.
E.g. value 4 represents that sequential number of Correspondence ID is 4 digits long:
B-OMEGA-A-0001.
Classification Categories
Setting the Classification value of a document or correspondence can automatically make them confidential and restrict access to a predefined group of users (if the Classification Category is marked as confidential). Separate Categories can be configured for documents and correspondence registers.
When assigning a confidential category, a document or correspondence is marked as confidential and if the category has a confidentiality group, then predefined members of that group will be inserted into the access list. Confidentiality groups can be defined in the Distribution Groups app and only confidential groups are available to be selected as Confidentiality Groups.
The usage of Confidentiality Groups is optional. Default access list members can be specified in Contracts for both documents and correspondence. When one becomes confidential by any means, the members from the Contract Default Confidentiality List will be added to the Access List.
When an existing Classification Category is marked as confidential, the user will be asked if they want to update non-confidential documents/correspondence having this category. Affected documents/correspondence will be marked as confidential and their access lists will be updated.
Correspondence Types
Available Correspondence Types are registered in this tab. Depending on correspondence type various mandatory and optional fields can be specified in "Mandatory Fields" and "Optional Fields in Correspondence Register" tabs.
Custom Fields
Custom fields can be used to configure custom attributes for documents that are not included in the default design of Pims DC. There are two groups of custom fields: Domain Custom Fields and Instance Custom Fields. The first needs to be set up separately for each domain, while the latter only needs to be setup once per Pims instance.
Values can be added for certain custom fields through in Custom Fields tab.
Distribution Templates Setup
This grid is used to configure the fields that will be used in Distribution Templates for Correspondence and Documents.
For more details about how Distribution Templates work and how to set them up check out the "Managing Documents Distribution Templates" and "Managing Correspondence Distribution Templates" articles.
The table below provides a detailed description of the fields in the grids:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Priority | The order (and importance) of a template part. A lower number indicates higher priority. The way priority is used in the setup can be somewhat confusing at first so here's an explanation: The primary way to decide which distribution template is the most precise and, therefore, most fitting for a particular document/correspondence is by counting the number of wildcard fields (fields without a set value, they appear in the distribution templates apps as "-Default-"). The lower the number of wildcards, the more precise the template. If two or more templates have the same number of wildcard fields, then priority is used to compare the precision of those templates. Each template is checked for its highest priority wildcard field and then those fields are compared. The template with the lowest priority wildcard field is most precise. |
| Label | Field label to show in the distribution templates apps |
| Field Name | The document/correspondence attribute field that will be used to determine whether a template applies to a document/correspondence. |
| View Name | The name of the database view from which to take values for the field. Used when selecting the desired value of a field when creating a new Distribution Template |
| Lookup Value Member | The column, from the selected view, whose value will be used as a template code when selecting a value for the field. NB: make sure to use lookup columns which match the data type and size of the fields that are being set and contain distinct values. An example of a column that shouldn't be used is the Description column as it's very likely to contain a value too large to fit in the selected field which would cause errors when creating templates. |
| Lookup Display Member | The column, from the selected view, whose value will be displayed instead of the value member when selecting a value for the field. Used to better describe the selected value as the value itself might not be very descriptive. |
| Depend On | Another field in the setup whose selected value will be used to filter the current field's lookup. If set, it will not be possible to set the current field until the "Depend On" field has been set when creating a new distribution template. |
| Lookup Filter Member | The column in the provided view whose value should be compared to the value of the "Depend On" field to filter lookup values. |
| Important | Defines the field of highest priority. In a setup where the lowest priority value is 1, a column that is important would be treated as if it had a priority value of 0. This field is only available in the Documents Distribution Template Setup grid. |
There are some differences in how the two different types of distribution template setups are modified. Correspondence Template Setup modification is done entirely in its grid and does not allow to add or remove fields after any templates have been created in the domain. Document Template Setup modification is done using both the grid and dialogs. This allows most parts of the setup to be modifiable even after templates have been added to the domain. Updating and removing fields is done using the grid while adding fields and changing their priority order is done using dialogs.
To add a field to the Document Distribution Template Setup, click the "Add Field to Distribution Template" button and fill in all of the required fields in the dialog. To change field priority values, click the "Change Field Priority Order" button to open the "Change Priority Order" dialog. The dialog will contain the current setup fields. The fields can be reordered by clicking one and dragging it around. The higher in the list a field is, the lower its priority number (for example the position of ContractNo in the example corresponds to a priority value of 1). Once all of the fields are in a desired order, click the "Apply" button to save your changes.
Document Groups Settings
Document Group is the second highest level of document categorization after PlantNo in Pims DC. Document Groups cannot be added or removed in this form (Documents Groups are assigned to Plants in the Asset Setup app – special permissions are required) so, it has to be already assigned to Plants in order to make further configurations. It is not possible to modify the list of plant groups in this form. Only domain-specific document groups settings are configured here. Changing the settings available in this app will only affect the current domain.
In the upper part of the tab there is a list of Document Groups assigned to the Plant selected above. By changing Plants, a user can configure Document Groups for all of the plants that are linked to the current domain.
Document Group and Description fields come from the asset setup and are not editable, however domain-specific fields System Document Group and Default Review Class are editable.
In the lower part of the tab, in the “Optional Attributes in Document Register (per Domain)” section, you can choose which optional fields will be visible in the Information tab of the Document Details app for the selected document group and plant.
Document Types Settings
Document Types listed in the upper part of the form determine which document types are available when creating new documents. Each Document Type can be assigned to one or more Document Group, but the dependency is made in the Assets Setup app and cannot be changed here because Document Types are domain-independent. However, all the settings listed in the Document Types tab are domain-dependent so, changing them will not affect other domains.
Each Document Type belongs to the Plant selected at the tab. By changing Plants, the user can configure Document Types for all available Plants in the current domain.
In the upper part of the tab is a list of Document Types assigned to the Plant selected at the top of the tab.
The table below provides a detailed description of the fields in the "Document Types" grid:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Document Type | Code used to identify the document type. |
| Description | Short description of the type. |
| Replace Cover Page (default) | Sets the default value for dialog “Merge into distributable (final) PDF” on revision files of a document with this type. |
| Update Bookmarks | Automatically update bookmarks in files made from template when copying from another revision or merging into a distributable file. |
| Enforce Project References | When enabled, documents of this type must be created with project values (Project, Project Plant, Project Contract). |
There is also a "Apply Settings to all Types" button right above the "Document Types" grid. It copies the settings (columns with checkboxes) of the currently selected type to all others in the same plant.
Completion Steps
Add/edit completion steps as needed by choosing a step from the lookup in the “Step” field.
Edit completion steps for the selected document type to provide additional information like percent completed when the step is achieved, whether the step requires a review, whether it needs a distinct distribution setup and whether or not the step is included in auto planed steps when a new document of this type is created.
In order to uncheck Auto Plan field make sure Auto Plan Delay value is cleared.
The table below provides a detailed description of the fields in the "Completion Steps" grid:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Step | Abbreviation used to identify the step |
| Description | Short description of the step |
| % Completed | Progress value in percent. This value is used to set the progress value of the document upon the finalization of a draft revision. Also, if a document has no progress value set, this value is used to determine the completeness of the document. |
| Require Review | Determines whether a revision with this step would require a review. This will be used for status filtering, auto-populating of Review Tray and showing relevant workflow suggestions |
| Revision Numbering Scheme | Determines numeric or alphabetic revision naming |
| Auto Plan | Adds the step to planed steps when new document of this type is created. |
| Auto Plan Delay | The number of days to add to the creation date in the Planned Date field in the auto-planned step. |
| Sorting | Order for listing of steps in lookups |
| Obsolete | Indicates if completion step is obsolete. Such types are not available for creating new revision. |
| Require Distinct Distribution Setup | Determines whether a revision with this step should use its own unique distribution setup rather than the default one for the document. This distribution setup can be used for reviews and internal distributions but not for approvals. |
| Enable Inspection Certificate Upload | Allows for the step to be used to when uploading inspection certificates in the Asset Tag Details app. It also allows to set expiration dates for revisions using the step, if creating them manually from the Document Details app. |
Mandatory Fields
Register mandatory fields for the selected document type. Mandatory fields are required when creating new documents.
The table below provides a detailed description of the fields in the "Mandatory Fields" grid:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Label | Label text for mandatory field lookup in New Document Wizard |
| Field Name | Mandatory field name in Documents table |
| Field Type | The type of input that should be used to enter data for a field. |
| Lookup View Name | Database view used to look-up mandatory field display and value members |
| Lookup Display Member | Field from selected view to show when selecting a value in lookup |
| Lookup Value Member | Field from selected view to save to database when selecting a value in lookup NB: make sure to use lookup columns which match the data type and size of the fields that are being set and contain distinct values. An example of a column that shouldn't be used is the Description column as it's very likely to contain a value too large to fit in the selected field which would cause errors when creating documents |
| Depends On | Fields which mandatory field depends on (optional) |
| Lookup Filter Member | Filter field to be applied to depending field |
| Administrative Default | When Group Type is "Administrative", default value from "Administrative Default" field would be used in the wizard |
| Sort Column Default | The columns that should be used to sort the values in a "MultiSelect" lookup. Multiple columns can be provided by placing semicolons (;) in between each column name. If set, the column names need to match the columns in the provided lookup view. If not set, the lookup value member column is used for filtering. NB: This setting only affects fields with the "MultiSelect" field type and only in the WinClient. The web client always uses the lookup value member column to sort values. |
| Empty Value | A value used as a substitute for leaving the field empty which can't be done for mandatory fields. In terms of functionality, it only has a notable impact when the field type is set to "MultiSelect". If that field type is used, then selecting a value that matches the empty value will unselect and disable all other values until the empty value is unselected. |
Documents Handover
When a document is handed over to Operations, some of that document's metadata is also handed over. The Documents Handover tab allows to select Handover Documents Attributes, the document attributes that will be copied over a document to operations.
Handover Documents Attributes are not the only attributes that are copied to operations. Numbering scheme fields and a small number of essential attributes will also be copied.
NB: Attributes being copied need to have the same values available for document attributes in the source and destination domains when copying documents.
File Types
Pims allows the use of custom file types. While any number of file types can be created they must be based on pre-existing system file types. These system file types largely determine the functionality of each type (where they are displayed, whether they are selectable or downloadable and whether they are used in system processes). The individual file types provide better grouping and customizability.
There are two categories of file types: Revision File Types and Submittals File Types. Revision file types are what you see used for document files within Pims. Submittals File Types, meanwhile, are used when uploading documents.
Revision File Types
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| File Type | The name of a file type |
| Title | The title of a file type. This is what is usually displayed to users within apps. |
| Description | The description of a file type. |
| System File Type | The role of a type within the system. As mentioned above this determines a type's functionality. |
| Default | When several file types have the same system file type, this is used to decide which of those should be used when the system creates a new file with that system file type. |
| Sort Order | Determines the order in which file type appear when listing files. Many apps in Pims show revision files divided into groups based on their type. This field determines the order in which those groups appear. |
Submittals File Types
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| System Type | The role of a type within the system. Used to determine what should be done with a file when attempting to import it. |
| File Type | The name of the file type. |
| Description | The description of a file type. |
| Revision File Type | Used to determine what revision file type a file should receive once imported into the system. |
Internal Companies
All users from companies added to the grid and set to be treated as internal will be able to perform actions that normally are allowed only for the users from the "main company" of the project (e.g. issuing documents for review). Those users will need to be given appropriate roles to make use of their internal status. The “Apply to Correspondence” checkbox means that the same concept will be used for Correspondence as well.
Internal Transmittal Linking
When Outgoing Transmittals will be sent to a company specified in this tab, the system will create a new transmittal and will send it to the specified domain.
Languages
Available languages for documents are registered in this tab.
Limited Editing Attributes
Selected document attributes listed in this tab will be available for editing to users specified as Responsible for specific document or users with the "Enable editing Limited Attributes" capability (if they don't already have the "Enable editing all attributes" capability).
Milestone Chain
Milestone Chains are used for mapping specific values from MDRs to Review Classes for documents. Executing Batch Import with the provided milestone chains will automatically set corresponding review classes for the imported documents. This allows contractor to provide information recommending if documents shall be reviewed or not (even if a step requires review). This is important when using automatic distribution of newly uploaded revisions for review.
Review Classes
Under "Review Classes" tab, the available Review Classes can be adjusted.
There are a few System Review Classes available:
| System Class | Description |
|---|---|
| Response Required | Indicates that the review is required |
| Response Not Required | Indicates that the review is optional |
| Not to be Reviewed | Indicates that this document should not be reviewed. It is forbidden to create new revisions with Steps requiring review in this document. |
| Not to be Issued | Indicates that the document should not be issued in Pims. E.g. just a placeholder reserving Document ID that is stored in another system. |
| Not to be Distributed | Indicates that the document will not be automatically distributed (will not be added to Internal or Review trays upon submission of new revisions) and will not appear in filters "Document updated but not Distributed".' |
Revision Numbering Scheme
Available Revision Numbering Schemes are listed in this tab. These schemes are used to determine numeric or alphabetic revision naming and can be set for every Revision Step independently in Steps tab.
Search Setup
Used to set up filters used in the Documents and Correspondence apps.
Settings
The settings tab displays various settings for the current domain. These settings are grouped in several categories based on the workflows they influence. The exception to this is the "General" category which affects the whole domain rather than individual workflows. After making changes to the settings, remember to save them with the “Save” button that will appear at the top right of the settings tab. Otherwise, those changes will be lost.
General
Domain Type
The type of the domain. Used to indicate the environment that should be applied to the domain - what business rules should be used and what apps should be accessible. The input for this setting is disabled as it can only be set in the Domains app (/system-domains). The "System Administrator" role is required to access that app.
Project Code
The DC code for the current domain to be used in e.g. numbering schemes.
Domain Company
The company that owns the project. Employees of this company will have elevated rights in some scenarios. Companies are defined in Global Companies Register.
Domain Company Code
The code of the company that owns the project. It’s used to check whether something belongs to the company and is thus considered internal. Company codes are defined per plant in the Assets Setup app.
Workdays Calendar
A calendar used to count working days. If set, e.g. review deadlines will be calculated by adding the defined number of working days (according to this calendar) to their revision issued dates. If not set, the number of calendar days will be added instead.
Reminder From Date
"Reminder from Date" is used to set the default "Period From" value in the DCS Reminders form. When "Reminder from Date" is not specified, the "Period From" value in the DCS Reminders form is set to the first day of the current week by default. Period dates in the DCS Reminders form can be changed manually before sending.
Project Progress Curve Start and End
Dates that indicate what time span to show in the progress curve report.
DCC Email Address
The email address of the responsible DCC for the project.
Notification Sender Login
The login of a system user account used for sending auto-generated notification emails using Appframe mail.
Base URL
The web address of a “permalink” redirect page, where all emails’ links will point to.
Win-auth Base URL
Same as Base URL, but with enabled windows authentication. This link can be used if the target user is a WinAuth user.
SharePoint Provider
Defines who manages the permissions and access control for SharePoint.
- [blank] - SharePoint is not set up. When this option is selected, all other SharePoint settings are either hidden or disabled.
- Company – the company using Pims manages all aspects of SharePoint. This option allows for multiple SharePoint sites within the same domain.
- Omega 365 – SharePoint access and permissions are managed by Omega 365. This option comes with the restriction that only one SharePoint site can be used in the domain. In fact, that same site will be used for all domains that have Omega 365 set as SharePoint provider.
Upon being uploaded to SharePoint, files are renamed to avoid several files being uploaded with the same name. By default, the pattern used for generating the new filenames is [Old Filename]_[Timestamp].[Ext] though, if needed, a custom pattern can be set. When the SharePoint provider is set to either “Company” or “Omega 365”, the button on the right of the SharePoint provider selector will open a dialog where a custom pattern can be set. More information about this is available in the “Setting up SharePoint filename template” article.
Cover Page Report
The ID of the report used as a cover page for a revisions’ final files.
Force Casing of Document Title
Sets what letter case, if any, to use for document titles (upper case/title case).
Discipline for Administrative Documents
Specifies the discipline used by administrative documents (System* Document Group = 'Administrative').
Enable Concurrent Engineering
Allows for multiple projects to be worked on in the domain. When enabled, allows for projects and project revisions to be used. Must be enabled in Site Modification domains.
Enable Producing Documents
Global setting that enables fields and buttons which are used to create files on internal documents:
- Authors field in revisions grid
- File Check-in/Check-out buttons
- Copy Files From another revision/document
- Create From Template
- Updating metadata in files
- Creating cover page
Enable Attachments in Email Notifications
If enabled, notification emails will be able to contain files. It should be noted that just enabling this option will not result in attachments appearing in notification emails. You will also have to set the Max Email Size limit to a value higher than 0 for each contract you want to use this functionality with.
List Confidential Document IDs and Titles
Enables the “Confidential Documents List” button to view the Document IDs and Titles of confidential documents. If unchecked, it will be impossible for users without access to know about the existence of confidential documents.
Leave uploaded files versions in SharePoint
Prevents files uploaded to SharePoint from being deleted when they normally would (after finishing a SharePoint review, when finalizing a draft revision or when initiating a review or approval for a draft revision). This setting is only usable when "Company" is set as the SharePoint provider. If "Omega 365" is the SharePoint provider, uploaded SharePoint files will always be deleted.
* "System" fields in the setup. There are a number of fields in the setup that contain the word "system" in their name e.g. System Document Group, System Action Type, System Workflow Type, etc. This means that those settings are not business logic values but are related to some behavior of the system. For example, it does not matter how an organization may call their non-technical documents group, they can mark that specific group as "Administrative" in System Document Group field and the corresponding logic will be applied to it e.g. forcing discipline to a specific value. Lists of "system" values are a part of the design and are not controlled by users.
Revisions
Rename Original Files
If enabled, Original and Support files uploaded to Pims will be automatically renamed to follow the predefined file name format: [DocumentID]_[Revision]_[Step]_[yyyy-mm-dd]_[SequentialNo].[Ext]. Appendix files uploaded to Pims will not be automatically renamed to keep the information that might be contained within original file name.
Allow Contractor’s Revisions
If enabled, Contractors' Revisions can be set when submitting Contractors files with Revision values that don't adhere to their revision numbering scheme.
Enforce Unique Revisions
When enabled, prevents users from creating or updating project revisions with the same revision value as other project revisions in a document.
Default Revision Reservation Period (Days)
(Only in Site Modification Domains) The number of days a contractor has to submit a revision after reserving it.
Reviews
Default Review Deadline Days
The default number of days to add to the revision received date to get the default review deadline value.
Default Response Deadline Days
The default number of days to add to the review finalization date to get the default response deadline. This setting defines how many days the Contractor has to send back a corrected revision after he is informed about the review results.
Days Reserved for Review Leader
The value used for calculating the review deadline for reviewers that aren't a leader or review responsible, by subtracting this number from the default review deadline days set for the domain or contract.
Days Reserved for Review Responsible
Functions like "Days Reserved for Review Leader" but it also subtracts from the leader's review deadline. Additionally, if this value is not set, the "Days Reserved for Review Leader" value is not used even if it is set.
Review Type for Internal Documents
The review type used when initiating a review for an internal document. The main difference between the “Simple” and “Parallel” review types is that the “Simple” type does not require review statuses to be set and does not generate a response.
Auto-populate Review Tray when Current Revision is Added
If enabled, when a new current revision is added, it is automatically added into the review tray.
NB: The revision’s step must require review and review receivers must be present in the document’s distribution setup.
Auto-populate Review Tray on Approved Revision
If enabled, when a draft revision is approved, it is automatically added into the review tray.
NB: The revision’s step must require review and review receivers must be present in the document’s distribution setup.
Combined Auto Review Emails
If set, the DC service will send combined review emails, similar to how emails are sent when using the Review Tray. Otherwise, it will send individual emails for every review, similar to sending one document for review at a time.
Enable Redlining Process
Enables the buttons and apps used to initiate and carry out redlining for document revisions.
Enable PDF Files Markup in Review
Enables fields and buttons used to review PDF files by using PDF annotations. No separate license required.
Enable Review Comments Disputing
Enabling Review Comments Disputing will make the "Status" and "Resolution" columns available for use.
Enable Review Comments Resolution for any Status
When enabled, resolutions can be set for any review comment response. Enabling this setting will also make resolution columns available for use in review apps if the "Enable Review Comments Disputing" setting is not enabled.
Enable Files Preview and Markup using Foxit
Enables the use of Foxit to make annotations on PDF files in reviews.
Enable Custom Symbols in Foxit
Enables the use of custom symbols in Foxit. The symbols are added in the extra dialog for this setting that can be opened by clicking the green icon next to the setting label.
To add a new symbol, an image file containing it must be uploaded. It is also recommended to upload symbols as PNGs as other types of images can have issues with being displayed on PDFs or not work at all. The image files should be as small as possible, in terms of file size, to keep the initial load time of review apps as low as possible. The maximum allowed file size is 32KB and image width and height should not exceed 500px. There are also hidden Width and Height columns in the grid to set default size of the symbol when it is added to a PDF. Make sure to maintain an image's aspect ratio when modifying these values.
NB: Custom symbols should not be deleted if the symbol has been used. Doing so can break some review functionality (for example, generating PDF files to do offline reviews). In those cases, they should just be made obsolete instead. A warning will come when attempting to delete a symbol that is in use.
Add Stamp to Review Response Files
Adds a stamp to the response PDF files generated after finalizing a review. An extra dialog is available to customize the stamp. It can be accessed by pressing the green icon next to the setting label.
Protect Stamped Response Files
If enabled, PDF response files generated when finalizing a review will be password-protected to prevent their content from being modified using PDF file editing apps. This does come with a drawback that it will result in the PDF file's owner password being overwritten, if one is set. Also if a PDF file has both passwords (user and owner) and the owner password is entered when finalizing the review, the owner password will become the user password for the response file (overwriting the existing user password).
NB: Owner passwords in PDF files are used to restrict modification, while user passwords are used to restrict access. This feature protects files using owner passwords. As such, PDF files that could be viewed without a password before being reviewed will still be viewable without a password after being reviewed.
Keep PDF with Aspose Markups
If enabled, PDF files used to upload offline comments will be saved along with their extracted comments.
Include Original Reviewer Name in the Review Comments Sheet
If enabled, the Review Response Comments Sheet will contain a column with the name of the comment originator.
Review Deadline Auto-expire
Enables the automatic expiration of reviews after their deadlines pass.
Approvals
Enable Internal Approval
Enables the Internal Approval process allowing to initiate new approvals.
Default Approval Type
Determines the approval type for new approvals. Two types can be selected - Sequential and Parallel. In the Sequential type, users must complete their approvals/verifications one at a time, according to their sequence order. The Parallel type allows users with the same action type (verifier or approver) to work at the same time. In both types, all verifiers must verify the revision, before any approvers can approve it.
Default Approval Deadline Days
The default number of days to add to the approval creation date to get the default approval deadline.
Auto-populate Approval Tray when Current Revision is Added
If enabled, when a new draft revision is added, it is automatically added into the approval tray.
NB: The revision’s step must require approval and approval receivers must be present in the document’s distribution setup.
3rd Party Verification
Enable 3rd Party Verification
Enables the 3rd Party Verification process allowing to send files and revisions for external verification.
Offline Archive
Enable Export to Offline Archive
Enables the option to export documents to an offline archive. When this setting is disabled, the Offline Archives app will not appear in the menu which can be preferable if Offline Archive functionality is not set up.
Internal Distribution
Enable Internal Distribution
Enables the Internal Distribution process, which allows to distribute document revisions to other users.
Auto-populate Internal Distribution Tray when Current Revision is Added
If enabled, when a new current revision is added, it is automatically added into the internal distribution tray.
NB: distribution receivers must be present in the document’s distribution setup.
Auto-populate Internal Distribution Tray on Approved Revision
If enabled, when a draft revision is approved, it is automatically added into the internal distribution tray.
NB: distribution receivers must be present in the document’s distribution setup.
Transmittals
Transmittal Cover Page Report
The ID of the report used as a cover page for outgoing transmittals.
Auto-populate Transmittal Tray when Review of Ext. Doc. Is Finalized
When enabled, if a revision was received from an incoming transmittal and its review has been finalized, then the Document containing that revision is automatically added into the transmittal tray.
NB: outgoing transmittal receivers must be present in the document’s distribution setup.
Generate Incoming Transmittals on Submittals
When enabled, incoming transmittals are generated when new revisions are submitted through the Upload Documents app.
Correspondence
Default Correspondence Reply Days
The default number of days to add to the current date to get the default due date for a reply when creating a new correspondence.
Rename Correspondence Files
If enabled, Correspondence files uploaded to Pims will be automatically renamed to follow the predefined file name format: [CorrespondenceID]_[SequentialNo].[Ext].
Windows Client - Cover Page Report Logo
This setting can only be set using the windows client. The logo is used in cover page reports. It can be uploaded by clicking “Upload cover page logo...” button at the top of the form.
SharePoint
SharePoint Integration for DCS can be based on the organization's existing SharePoint access, which is managed by the organization's administrators, or on Omega 365 services.
Guides on how to configure a Client's SharePoint site can be found here and here.
A SharePoint site should be configured if there is a need to work on files belonging to draft revisions of internal documents and projects. Each internal Contract in the domain should be assigned a folder in the SharePoint site. A folder without an assigned ContractNo will be used for documents without a ContractNo.
The Client (Application), Tenant (Directory) and Library IDs must be filled in. Getting the Client and Tenant IDs is mentioned in the "Setting up SharePoint Integration". As for Library IDs, they can be found by going to the Site Contents section of a SharePoint site, picking the desired document library and opening its Settings page. When the Settings page is opened, the Library ID should be displayed as the List URL parameter. The ID should be in the following format: XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX. In some cases, the List parameter may contain the ID in parentheses, in such cases the ID should be copied without the parenthesis (matching the format provided previously).
After configuring a site, it can be tested using the button in the second-to-last column of the Sites grid. This will verify if a connection can be established with the SharePoint site.
It is recommended to implement the following folder structure in your SharePoint site:
- RootSite/..GeneralFolder - for files of documents without a ContractNo
- RootSite/..GeneralFolder/ContractFolder - for files of documents with a specific ContractNo
NB: if the same SharePoint site is being used across several domains, make sure to use a separate General Folder for each domain.
There is possibility to change Root Folder default value of "Shared Documents" in cases when SharePoint is configured in different language.
If a site or folder you added into the configuration cannot be found (for example, it does not exist) a warning icon (⚠) will appear.
When using SharePoint with Omega 365 as the provider, site setup will be done as part of the Web Configuration rather than in the DCS Configuration app. All domains will use the same site therefore the folder structure should be well thought-out. While creating folders is still required, you won't need to create them manually in SharePoint, they will be automatically created after being entered in the Folders grid.
With Omega 365 set as the provider, the organization doesn't need to manage users' SharePoint permissions. Permissions are granted per file automatically when a user attempts to open (or upload) it in SharePoint. When a user attempts to open a SharePoint file for editing for the very first time, they will receive an email with an invitation. Upon accepting this invitation, the user will be able to open and edit files in SharePoint without any further additional actions required.
Steps
In the "Steps" tab, all steps used by document types are registered. Steps are assigned to revisions in order to define reason for creating a revision and to track a document's completion progress. This grid defines default values that will be copied into the steps list of each type when assigned. Values of individual steps for each document type can be modified later. Using the buttons above the grid, steps can quickly be added to or removed from all document types in the domain or just the types that belong to a specific document group.
The table below provides a detailed description of the fields in the grid "Steps":
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Step | Code that identifies a step |
| Description | Default description of the step (same will be put in new revision's Reason for Issue field by default) |
| Percent Completed | Default percentage of document completion when a revision with that step is finalized. |
| Require Review | Default value which indicates if document revision with this step requires to be sent on review |
| Revision Numbering Scheme | Default scheme for revisions auto-numbering (e.g. alphabetic or numeric) |
| Auto Plan | Default setting defining if the step is included in document auto-planned steps |
| Auto Plan Date Delay Days | Default number of calendar days to add to revision's created date to get step’s Planned Date if included in auto-plan |
| Sorting | Default sort order of the step in lookups |
| Apply To New Document Types | By checking this field the step will be assigned to new document types automatically |
| Obsolete | Indicates if Step is obsolete. Such steps are not available for creating new revisions |
| System Step | System steps are used by the system to identify revision steps |
| Revision Prefix | Different revision prefixes can be defined for each of the steps. Revision prefixes per steps have higher priority over "Prefix" in Revision Numbering Schemes tab when revision number is generated automatically. |
| Require Distinct Distribution Setup | Default value determining whether a revision with this step requires its own unique distribution setup rather than the default one for the document. While this default value is usually not used by apps to determine whether a step requires its own distribution setup, this setting needs to be enabled for a step to show up in the Distribution Templates app. |
System Steps
Assigning system steps to revision steps will allow to import data from Planned and Forecast sections in Batch Import, also it will allow to use planned revision dates in the MDR Review app.
The table below provides a list of available system steps:
| System Step | Description |
|---|---|
| IDC | Inter-Discipline Check |
| IFR | Issued For Review |
| IFE | Issued For Engineering |
| IFD | Issued For Design |
| IFI | Issued For Information |
| IFC | Issued For Construction |
| IFP | Issued For Production |
| IAB | Issued "As-built" |
| Voided | Using this feature, contractors are able to mark documents as voided through contractors' documents upload web page. |
Templates
Documents and Correspondence
These templates can be associated with either document or correspondence types and be used to create new files in those types. MS Word bookmarks inside the templates can be replaced with document/correspondence metadata when creating files from the templates. Bookmarks for document types can also be updated when copying files from other revisions. If a template has "Is Contractor Template" enabled, it will be available for external users in correspondence types.
To be able to use a template, it should first be uploaded in the "Document and Correspondence" tab of the Templates section in the DCS Configuration app and all templates tags which are to be replaced with metadata need to be registered in Template Tags tab.
The table below provides a detailed description of the fields in the "Template Tags" grid:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Bookmark Name | Name of the bookmark in MS Word document. |
| Field Name | Field name which value to use instead the bookmark of the MS Word document (limited list). |
You can skip filling the Bookmark Name value if the name is the same as Field Name value.
Creating Template
Steps to create a template document:
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Create a template file in MS Word. |
| 2 | Add bookmarks, which will be replaced with document/correspondence metadata, to the MS Word file. |
| 3 | Upload the file in "Document and Correspondence" tab of the "Templates" section using the corresponding upload option for the type of template you are uploading. |
| 4 | Register fields to replace the bookmarks used in the template file in "Template Tags" grid. |
Adding Bookmarks to template file
All defined tags should be present in the template file as bookmarks.
To insert a bookmark in Microsoft Word, select the text to place a bookmark over and click on "Bookmark" from the "Links" group in the "Insert" tab.
In the opened dialog, type in a bookmark name (the same name will be entered in the "Template Tags" grid) and click the "Add" button.
Predefined Static Templates
Predefined static templates are templates with limited customization that don't use replacements tags. Their integration into Document Control varies by type with Outgoing Transmittal templates being automatically filled in and included in outgoing transmittals while MDR and MDDM templates simply get a download button in relevant apps and need to be filled in manually.
NB: the MDR and MDDM templates are not the only way for users to upload data in their respective apps. They might not include all of the columns that a user might need or, alternatively, may contain columns that are optional but that the user will now need to spend more time filling in, which can increase the chance of mistakes when entering data. They are just guides that can be added to or removed from by experienced users.
Currently three standard types of Predefined Static Templates can be uploaded: MDDM templates, MDR templates and Outgoing Transmittal. Custom template types can also be added. There can only be one template file of each type (regardless of whether it is standard or custom).
MDDM Templates
MDDM templates are used in the Distribution Matrix app to help with distribution setup imports. They can be downloaded using the "Download Template" option in the "Tasks" dropdown.
This article has two example templates attached – MDDM_Template.xlsx and MDDM_TemplateWithProjCols.xlsx. MDDM_TemplateWithProjCols.xlsx is for Site Modification domains and domains where concurrent engineering is enabled as it has the project columns needed to know which project a distribution setup would be used for. For other domains, the MDDM_Template.xlsx file can be used as it removes those columns.
MDDM templates can be customized by rearranging columns (except for DocumentID which must always be the first column in the file), removing columns if they aren't used (like the Step column if not using distinct step distribution setups) and adding columns to provide extra document metadata (like Title, DocumentGroup, DocumentType, ContractNo, etc.). Document metadata columns will not be used when importing the setup but can make it easier for the users handling the files to recognize specific documents. Columns that aren't related to document metadata are assumed to be receivers when importing. The amount of receiver columns in the template doesn't matter as they have to be adjusted manually by end users when importing.
MDR Templates
MDR templates are used in the Batch Import app to aid in loading import data from excel files. They can be downloaded using the "Download MDR Template" option in the "Tasks" dropdown.
Constructing MDR templates is rather simple: just pick out the desired fields of document metadata and list them out in an excel file starting from the first column of the first row (an example template used to create new documents is pictured below).
If the names of the columns in the template file match names of document fields, they will be automatically mapped when uploading the file for import in the Batch Import app. If not, they can still be mapped manually.
Outgoing Transmittal
Outgoing Transmittal templates are used in the Transmittal Details app when viewing outgoing transmittals. They are Excel files containing some data about that transmittal (sender, receiver and their addresses, contract, project, etc.) and a list of documents included in it. When an outgoing transmittal is sent, an attachment is generated based on the template and added to the transmittal. The template file will also be included in the zip file when using the "Download Transmittal" option in the "Tasks" dropdown.
Since Outgoing Transmittal templates have no configurable tags, the locations where data is filled in are predefined. Rather than listing all of the cells used, an example file has been provided that shows the locations of those cells (outgoingtransmittal-template.xlsx) . Cells with angle brackets (<>) will be overwritten with transmittal data when the template is filled in. The text in the brackets indicates which values will be used to fill in those cells. There are a couple of things to note about the process:
- The Project ID cell is only filled in for SM Domains. In other domains, it will remain unchanged after the file is filled in;
- The starting point of the Documents table is based on the first cell of its header - "Document Number". Upon finding a cell with that exact text, the cell in the same column of the next row will be selected as the first cell of the table. Also, the columns can't be reordered. They will only appear in the order presented in the example file;
- The Title column should be merged as it in the example file (combining 7 columns) as the placement of the following columns expects that. As such, there may be a gap of columns after the title, if not enough columns are merged.
Custom Templates
Custom template types can be added by modifying a customizable database object. Such templates will not be integrated into Pims and automatically filled in or available to download in relevant apps but will allow anybody with access to the DCS Configuration app to download them.
Cover Page Template
Cover page templates are used to generate cover pages for PDF files in the Document Details app (or the Contractor Submittals Import app for contractor templates). A template file can be created as described in the "Setting up Document Cover Page Template" article. It can then be uploaded and have fields assigned to replace its bookmarks. As this template will be used to generate a cover page for other PDF files, it shouldn't be longer more than 1 page.
A domain should only have one internal cover page template, but can have as many contractor cover page templates as needed for different contracts.
Transmittal Numbering Scheme
Transmittal PrefixCan be used to define prefix of auto-generated transmittal number in this domain.
E.g. if Transmittal Prefix is "OT" and is included in transmittals numbering scheme, transmittal ID would be similar to: OT -OMEGA-WSCN-0001.
Transmittal SuffixCan be used to define suffix of auto-generated transmittal number in this domain.
E.g. if Transmittal Suffix is "TR" and is included in transmittals numbering scheme, transmittal ID would be similar to: OMEGA-WSCN- TR -0001.
Transmittal sequential number of digits. Here you can set the length of last part of auto-generated transmittal number (maximum 7 digits). This part is auto-incremented when other parts are equal.
E.g. value 4 represents that sequential number of Transmittal ID is 4 digits long: OT-OMEGA-WSCN-TR- 0001.
There is a number of other tabs in the "DCS Configuration" app not described in detail here which are simple value registers of attributes used for Documents and/or Correspondence (ref. Optional Fields lists - the values available for selection in lookups on both web and win). These values don't have any system impact and are just used for filtering, e.g.: Authorities, Categories, Cases, Corr. Purposes, Countries, Criticality Codes, Departments, Distribution Formats, Flag Elements, Languages, LCI Codes, Meeting Locations, Meeting Types, Phases, Project Locations, Retentions, Structures, Sub Projects, Work Packs.