What is the difference between an Uploaded Document and one marked as On File?
The most common scenario with attached documents is to upload a file from your local computer and associate it with a Member, Coach/Volunteer or other entity. But, there are instances where an organization may have a hard-copy of a particular document on file in a physical filing cabinet or elsewhere. This is where marking a Document as being On File rather than uploading one makes sense. You can still get all the benefits of filtering and searching by Document Types afforded by RecDesk without necessarily having to physically upload one and store it in the RecDesk cloud.
What are Document Types and why should I use them?
Creating and using
Document Types makes for a much powerful way to categorize, search and make use of the attached document feature in RecDesk. Assigning a Document type to a file allows you to define expiration policies on specific documents and search for them in a much more refined and useful way. Consider the following two scenarios where a Birth Certificate is uploaded for an individual:
Option 1: Upload a birth certificate without specfying a document type
This works fine in simple cases where you simply need to associate the document with a member and have no specific needs around searching by document type or inquiries about expiration. You can open up the individual's profile at any time and download the related document
Option 2: Upload a birth certificate and set its Document Type to one you created named Birth Certificate
This opens up a whole new set of possibilities. You can now put an expiration date on the document - say 2 years (or any default policy expiration you'd like). It also allows you to do things like:
1. Show me all Members that HAVE a Birth Certificate on file
2. Show me all Members that DO NOT have a Birth Certificate on file
3. Show me all Members that have an EXPIRED birth certificate on file
So, when in doubt, set up Document Types for your most common attached files.
