Document Management

You can store existing documents in Aurea CRM Web database.

For example, a letter that you received from a customer. You can create single letters to your customer using templates defined by your administrator. The template documents are defined to automatically populate the letter with data from the CRM database. You can also generate mass mailings within the scope of marketing activities and automatically populate the e-mail with data related to the target group created for the marketing activity. All the documents created are stored in the database.

Note: To send an e-mail in a language other than the default languages, you should use UTF-16 encoding for the template document. For example, to send an e-mail in Cyrillic, encode the template document in UTF-16. You can use any text editor that supports UTF-16, to encode the template document.

Documents

Opening and Editing Documents

You can open documents in read-only mode or edit them.

To open a document:

  1. Search for the document using one of the following options:
    • Select (Collaboration) > Documents and start the search.
    • Open a record (e.g. an offer) and switch to the Document Links tab.

  2. Click on the document to open it.

    The document is opened in the associated application (based on the document type).

    Note: The document is read-only and any changes you make to the document are not stored in the Aurea CRM database.

To edit a document:

  1. Search for the document (see above).
  2. Select Check Out & Edit from the document’s context menu.
    Note: CRM.launcher is required to check out documents.

    The document is opened in the associated application (based on the document type). The document is locked for other users.

  3. Edit the document.
  4. Many types of documents (e.g. Microsoft Office documents) can be saved and uploaded automatically. To save the document in the Aurea CRM database, save or close the document in the associated application.

    You are asked whether you wish to upload the document. The document is automatically checked in once it has been uploaded, and is thus again available to other users.

    If the document type cannot be saved automatically, a message is displayed. To upload the document:

    1. Save the document in the associated application.
    2. Click on (Checked Out Documents) in Aurea CRM web. This icon is visible whenever a document has been checked out.
    3. Select the desired document.
    4. Click on Upload.

Displaying Checked Out Documents

To display the documents you have checked out:

  1. Select (Collaboration) > Checked Out Documents. The documents that you have checked out are listed.
  2. The following entries are available from the document’s context menu:
    • View Document Record displays the document record.
    • Select Undo Check Out.
  3. To check in the document, select (Collaboration) > Checked Out Documents, select View Document Record from the document’s context menu and click on (Select / Upload Document) next to the Document Key field and upload the document.

If you log out of Aurea CRM web and you have checked out documents, you are asked whether you want to:

  • Cancel logging out in order to upload the document
  • Upload the document the next time you use the system. The document remains checked out.
  • Undo the check out before logging off.

Saving Documents in the Database

The following options are available for uploading documents to the database:

  • Uploading a (Local) Document to the Aurea CRM database
    1. You can choose to upload a general document, or upload the document to a specific record:
      • Select (Collaboration) > Documents, start the search and click on (New).
      • Open the record (e.g. an offer) and switch to the Document Links tab under Related Data. Click on (New) and select Upload new document.
    2. Click on Select File in the Upload Document window and select the desired document(s).

      You can also drag the document(s) to the window using your mouse.

    3. Save. The record is displayed in tab view or in the list.
  • Linking an Aurea CRM Document with a Record
    1. Open the record (e.g. an offer) and switch to the Document Links tab under Related Data. Click on (New) and select Existing update.CRM Document.
    2. Select one or more documents.
    3. Choose Select from the context menu.

Replacing Documents in the Database

To replace an existing document in the database:

  1. Select (Collaboration) > Documents or switch to the Document Links tab under Related Data in the corresponding record.
  2. Search for the document you wish to replace.
  3. Select Tab View from the context menu.
  4. Click on (Select / Upload Document) next to the Document Key field.
  5. Select Upload Document.
  6. Click on Browse and select the desired document.
  7. Save the record.

Deleting Documents

To delete a document:

  1. Search (Collaboration) > Documents or switch to the Document Links tab under Related Data in the corresponding record.
  2. Search for the document you want to delete.
  3. Select Delete from the document’s context menu.

    A message is displayed with information on the number of links that exist to the document and the info areas that the document is linked to.

  4. Choose whether to delete the record.

You can also choose to delete a document from a record to which the document is linked:

  1. Switch to the parent record (e.g. a company) and switch to the Document Links tab.
  2. Select Delete from the document’s context menu.
  3. Choose whether to delete the link between the document and the record or to delete the document and all existing links.

Document Fields

Certain info areas allow you to enter documents in document fields.

Document fields offer the following options:

  1. Click on (Select / Upload Document).
  2. Choose one of the following options:
    • Open document: Opens the document entered in the field.
    • Existing Document: Allows you to enter a document stored in the Aurea CRM database in the field.
    • Existing Customer Document: Allows you to enter a customer document stored in the Aurea CRM database in the field.
    • Upload Document: Allows you to upload a document (e.g. from your local hard drive) and store it in the document field.
    Note: Your administrator can determine that uploaded images are displayed in the record’s mask.
  3. Click on (Delete) to remove the current document from the field.
Note: If your administrator has defined that a document field is displayed in a list, the document key is displayed instead of the document name.

Letters

You can create letters based on document templates as Word documents from certain records in Aurea CRM web. Data entered in the record is transferred to your word processor and merged with the document.

Document templates for letters including the desired transfer fields and label formats are created in Aurea CRM win and can then be accessed in Aurea CRM web, see Word Processor in the Aurea CRM win User Guide.

Your administrator can define the following options in the transfer format used to create the letter:

  • Whether the letter is read-only. In this case you cannot edit the letter; it can only be viewed.
  • Whether the letter is generated in the background, stored in the database and linked to the customer record using a document link.
  • How the document is named. Your administrator can use the available variables to generate the name of the letter.

Creating Letters

Your administrator can determine how you can create letters and which templates are available from which info areas.

To create a letter for a company, for example:

  1. Select the desired template from the company’s context menu or using a predefined button.

    The current record is transferred to your word processor and merged with the document. The document is automatically linked to the record.

  2. The document is displayed in Microsoft Word. You can edit the document.
  3. Close or save the Word document. The document is uploaded to the Aurea CRM database.

Mail Merges

Quick campaigns allow you to generate a letter for several persons, without needing to first add a campaign and associated marketing activities etc.

You can also create mail merges within the scope of marketing activities. You cannot however create mass mailings in Aurea CRM web itself, but only the control file containing the customer data that is then merged with your text in Microsoft Word.

Note: To send than the default languages, you should use UTF-16 encoding for the template document. For example, to send a mail in Cyrillic, encode the HTML template document in UTF-16.

Your administrator can define that you can store the customer data merged with the document template for each recipient. When you open the document, the customer-specific data is merged with the document template and the letter received by the customer is displayed. Document templates are stored as read-only documents in the database and cannot subsequently be edited.

To access a previously sent mailing:

  1. Switch to a company or person.

    Switch to the Document Links tab. The documents available in Aurea CRM are listed.

    You can identify mass mailings as documents that were created by a Marketing Activity. The Serial Letter and Read only check boxes are automatically enabled.

  2. Click on the title of the document or select Check Out & Edit from the context menu. The document opens in Microsoft word.