Contents

Overview
Own
Others
Recording Acknowledgements
Duplicates
Remove FTP Uploads
Enquiries
Reports

Overview | Issuing is the process of sending a set of documents to a set of people for various reasons and or status. Within TDOC this is both one of the fastest and easiest tasks to undertake, yet it has more options than at first might be expected. It is used: To issue One's Own documents, To issue Other People's documents, whether to: Forward them to third parties, or Return them to their Maker or Sender. To send out a print order if required. The issues mechanism is based on a Session, which has some similarity to the commonly used spreadsheet in that it relates to: A set of Documents, and A set of Recipients, A Session holds the specific detail of each recipient-document relationship. This includes: The Revision being issued or returned, The Reason for Issue, or if the document is being returned, the Status, The Number of Copies or Advice which is often referred to as "Transmittal Only". The mode or material in which the document is issued, The issuing mechanism, in addition to one at a time selection, enables the use of rules for: Selecting People, Selecting Documents, Adjusting the People-Document Matrix. The generation of transmittals and their despatch, with hard or soft copies as appropriate, is accomplished using: Paper, Email, with FTP if required, CD/DVD. The use of groups should be carefully considered. See Administrative Registers, Groups Register. Messages are displayed at the bottom of the Issues Window to indicate any actions that are needed in order to proceed, or to add or correct information, and include: For missing data "Select Recipients". "Select Documents". "Select Recipients and Documents". If information is missing or invalid "Recipients" with "Copies" and or "Reasons". "Documents" with "Status" and or "Material". "Save to generate Transmittal Nos" preceded by "Select another Tab in order to " if in the Session Tab.
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Own | The issuing process is straight forward, and consists of the following tasks, which are each amplified below: Create a Session, or Select one to reuse. Select or Review the Recipients, Select or Review the Documents, Adjust the Matrix if required, Generate and Despatch the Transmittal Documents, with attachments as necessary, following which the Issues Register is updated.
Session | The definition of a Session has three parts: Session details, which include: JobNo, Session and Title, Group. Please see Documents below. If a Group is linked to a Session, then the latest revision of Documents which belong to the group are included. If documents are added or removed from the Group, then the Session is automatically updated. Session Operation, which includes: If the session is NEW, whether to delete it on completion. Whether to use electronic distribution. This adds the two additional checks: Highlights Recipients who do NOT have an email address, Highlights Documents whose selected revision does NOT have an electronic version. Prevents Electronic Distribution unless the checks above both pass. Sets the number of copies to 1, and applies this to all recipients. Session Defaults: These speed up the process of specifying transmittal additional information for people and documents as follows:. For People: Reasons for Issue, Number of Copies, If Acknowledgement is required, For Documents Material of Issue. The "Apply to ALL " checkboxs act as follows: When checked, then it is applied to all people or documents, When unchecked, then only when a person or document is added.
| When an existing session is loaded then two checks are carried: First is to ensure that no-one else is attempting to use the same one. If they are access will be denied, and the following message displayed: Second is to ensure that revisions are the latest. If there are any newer revisions, then the following message is displayed: When a new session is created, then it must be saved using the Save button before Recipients and Documents may be allocated to it. Once a session has been loaded, the Cancel button may be used to clear the contents of the Session. The following message is displayed:
Recipients | The available recipients are shown on the right with rules for adjusting the list, and the selected recipients on the left. Once recipients have been selected, then the following default information must be provided: The reason for issue of documents, The number of copies, Whether acknowledgement is required. This information can either be changed in one of three ways: Automatically adjusted using the overriding defaults on the Session tab. As long as the specific overriding default on the Session tab is NOT set to "Apply to ALL", then the information may be edited. A specific Document Recipient relationship can be adjusted on the Matrix tab. See below.
| There are two rules on the available recipients browse for displaying names: All Names - shows the whole of the Names Register Job List - shows only those who have been allocated for Technical Documents to the Job in the Jobs Register Both browses have color indicators to highlight problems as follows: Red Cell on the selected recipients browse to indicate missing information, viz No Reason for Issue, Number of copies NOT set. Yellow Row on both browses when Electronic Distribution has been selected to indicate a missing email address. Green Row on Available Recipients browse to indicate recipients already selected.
Documents | The available documents are shown on the right with rules for adjusting the list, and the selected documents on the left. Once documents have been selected, then the default Material of Issue must be provided. A automatic record is kept of the Material specified for each Document Type and Size combination, which is then used as the default until changed. The record is neither Job specific nor related to the type of issue. Whenever a document is selected, the latest revision is automatically selected. This is indicated by a Tick symbol in the adjacent column to the right. Other revisions may be selected from the drop down list. The same three ways of changing the Material are available as for editing information for Recipients.
| There are three rules on the available documents browse for displaying available documents: All Documents Groups Select Criteria Both browses have color indicators to highlight problems as follows: Red Cell on the selected documents browse to indicate missing Material of Issue, Blue Cell to indicate that the Revision is NOT the latest, Yellow Row on both browses when Electronic Distribution has been selected to indicate a missing electronic version. Green Row on Available Documents browse to indicate documents already selected.
Matrix | The Issues Matrix shows a summary of the Recipient-Document relationship. There are four indicators as follows: - Insufficient information - Not to be Issued - To be Issued - Issue for Advice Two types of change may be made to the matrix: Permanent changes. There are two ways in which these can be made: By selecting the appropriate cell and using the context menu, By double clicking the appropriate cell, and making detailed changes. See below. Temporary changes for this use only, for which there are two rules on the context menu which automatically make adjustments: To remove unnecessary issues where the revision of the the document has already been issued to the recipient, then: To set the document to be NOT issued to that recipient if for the same reason and at the same stage (if used), To set the document to be issued For Advice to that recipient if either for a different reason or at a different stage (if used). To reset the matrix back to its permanent state.
| The specific details may be permanently changed:
Despatch | The despatch tab enables the generation and despatch of the transmittal documents and any attachments. When the transmittal is generated a number of messages are included as follows: If the Reason for Issue has an associated message, then it is printed with the Reason for Issue. If a Comment Sheet is generated (because the Reason for Issue requires return of the issued documents) the following message is generated: "Please return the attached comment sheet" If an Acknowledgment Note is generated the following message is generated: "Please acknowledge using the attached Acknowledgement Note" There are two optional information messages, which are automatically saved without having to use the Save button, as follows: If the Reply To contains a name reference (of the person responsible for the issue), then the following message is generated: "Please reply to xxxxxxxx" If a message has been entered, then it is printed on all transmittal notes. Once the despatch has been executed, the information is used to update the issues register. Transmittals may be despatched either using paper or electronically or in any mixture. The options are: Preview, which can be used to: Verify the content and format of a generated document, Cause the "created and despatched" flag to be set, allowing update without actual issue. Print, which is used to generate transmittal documents on Paper, Export, which can be used to generate electronic transmittal documents for manual despatch, Email, which first generates electronic transmittal documents, and then despatches them. Transmittal documents (see below regarding use of the Print Options button) are best generated at the same time and include: Mandatory documents, which are indicated by the symbol until generated viz: Transmittal Notes. Click to view an example. Acknowledgement Notes (when necessary i.e. when setup - See Recipients above). Click to view an example. Comment Sheets (when necessary i.e. when the issue reason requires return). Click to view an example. Optional Documents Copied To sheets when there is more than one recipient. Click to view an example. User Notes. Click to view an example. Other documentation that can also be generated, but not at the same time as transmittal documents, includes: Print Order. Click to view an example. File Copy. Click to view an example. Address Labels (Print & Preview only) - see below. The symbol indicates documents which have been generated or printed. On completion of any printing, a check is made for any outstanding mandatory transmittal documents, and these are selected for generation.
| Messages are displayed to assist in ensuring the process performs as required. Messages include: To enable email etc, select "Use email and electronic documents" on the Session Tab. Please wait - Generating Documents to send. Please wait - Sending email.
Print Options | The Print Options button allows the following: Selective generation of User Notes and Copied To sheets Force the use of FTP for transmission of Attachments when using electronic transmission. Suppression of Mandatory Transmittal documents for Internal People only Selective generation of User Notes or Copied To sheets operates as follows: When the user selects the despatch tab all Recipients are flagged to receive documents (when generated). Once printing or despatch has commenced the changes made by the user are retained unless either a document or recipient is added, deleted or changed. Recipients must be un-flagged before generation if suppression is required.
Labels | When labels are selected for printing, then all other documents are un-selected. Conversely when any other document is selected for generation, labels are de-selected. By default, label printing starts at Position 1 viz the top left corner. Printing may be started at any other suitable position in order to progressively use a sheet of labels from the bottom. The report layout supplied as default uses Avery A4 size with 14 labels in two columns of 7. Click to view an example Label Print.
Email / FTP | The process is a non stop sequence of events with messages to indicate progress, and which works as follows: All of the transmittal documents to be generated must be selected, The transmittal documents are generated , A Zip file of the electronic versions of the technical documents to be transmitted is created, If FTP is available and selected, then the Zip file is FTP'd to the specified server to a specifically created directory, An email is generated which: Contains a message listing the documents which are attached, including either the location of the FTP'd Zip file of the transmitted technical documents, or the file. Has attached the transmittal documents, and the Zip file if FTP is not used. The email is despatched. Click to view an example as seen by the recipient. See Technical Documents, Using EDI for more information. Once acknowledgement of receipt has been received, FTP uploads should be removed - see Remove FTP Uploads below.
CD / DVD | The electronic versions of the documents to be transmitted may optionally be placed onto to one or more CD's or DVD's. Two methods are supported: Copying to a CD or DVD using DLA (Drive Letter Access), Automated dropping of the files onto a CD or DVD writing application. This process operates as follows: Selection of the type of disk and method to be used. Selection of the available CD or DVD drive to use. Pressing the Make CD/DVD button displays the files to be burned, indicating the Disk on which they will be placed. The copying operation is started by using the Start button. The number of disks that will be needed is shown. DLA operates as follows: On pressing the Start button, the following message is displayed: Pressing OK will start the copying process. If the drive is not ready, a warning message is displayed: Drop operates as follows: On pressing the Start button, the following message is displayed: Select the CD or DVD writing application, and use the CTRL + "V" buttons to paste the files from the clipboard. Pressing OK completes the process. Warning messages are displayed as appropriate.
Print Order | A print order summarises the documents which are to be printed, and to whom, and is designed to be sent to a reprographics department or contractor. If emailed, then an email is generated and the print order attached, and sent together with the documents to be printed zipped up either as an attachment, or if FTP was selected the email contains a message giving the link from where they should be downloaded. Click to view an example as seen by the reprographics centre. See Technical Documents, Using EDI for more information. Warning messages are displayed as necessary.
Update and/or Exit | Once all the mandatory transmittal documents have been generated and or despatched, the Update button is enabled. The Update button which is at the top right corner of the Despatch Tab performs three actions: Transfers the information from the session to the issues register, Either removes the session, or readies it for reuse, Closes the issues process or starts another. The Exit button enables the session to be closed for reuse at any time. The following is a typical warning message which is displayed: Note that Sessions which are intended for immediate removal are NOT removed on an incomplete Exit, only on Update.
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Others Documents | The process is similar to that for Ones Own Documents, except for minor differences in: The selection of Documents, and determining if a Document is being Forwarded or Returned. Adjustments to the Matrix. Format of the Transmittal Documents TDOC determines whether a document is being forwarded or returned. Returns are established as follows: If the document's Maker is the same as the recipient, If any revision of the document was received from the recipient. Note that as both forwarding and returning documents may be accomplished at the same time, and thus even when returning documents, a Reason for Issue must be given for each recipient.
| As with Ones Own documents, the available documents are shown on the right with rules for adjusting the list, and the selected documents on the left. When a document is selected, or a session reused, then a check is made to determine if the document is to be returned, in which case the selected revision must have a System Status. The status displayed is the inherited status, and those revisions which are being returned and do not have a System Status are indicated with a symbol, and a warning message is displayed. The following screen shot shows a document which has no system status, a document with system status but NOT on the latest revision, and a document whose selected revision is NOT the latest.
| There are four rules on the available documents browse for displaying available documents: All Documents Groups IC Transmittal Select Criteria
Matrix | The Issues Matrix shows a summary of the Recipient-Document relationship. There are two additional indicators as follows: - To be Returned - To be Returned for Advice For Other People's documents which are being returned, there is an additional rule for making temporary changes for this use only: Set documents to be Returned for Advice of Status if the Return Status has been set to enable this, for example when documents are to be returned "Approved".
| The specific details for a Return may also be permanently changed:
Despatch | When Transmittal Notes are generated, then those being Forwarded are printed on a different sheet to those being Returned, but with the same transmittal number. Click to view an example of a Transmittal Note forwarding documents. Click to view an example of a Transmittal Note returning documents
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Recording Acknowledgements | Acknowledgement of Receipt is an optional facility within TDOC, except that it is mandatory for electronic transmissions. The default display shows only transmittals and documents for which acknowledgement has been requested and not received. However, acknowledgement of receipt can be recorded for documents and transmittals which were NOT issued with an Acknowledgment Note. The context menu allows for filtering of the displayed transmittals as follows: Status of Transmittals, one of which must always be selected. Required and Outstanding - Transmittals with Documents not acknowledged with acknowledgement required. [Default], Outstanding - Transmittals with Documents not acknowledged, All Transmittals. Type of Transmittal, either of which may be selected: Own Others Date of Transmittal, , either of which may be selected: Within 30 days, Over 30 days.
Acknowledge | In addition to filtering the transmittals, a list of transmittals meeting the display criteria may be printed. See Expediting below. When the Status of Transmittals displayed is filtered, the same criteria is applied to the documents within the transmittal which are shown. However, in order to check whether other documents in the transmittal have already been acknowledged, the document list may be filtered as follows: Required and Outstanding - Documents not acknowledged with acknowledgement required. [Default], Outstanding - Documents not acknowledged, All Documents. The documents shown have color indicators to highlight the status as follows: Green - Receipt already acknowledged, Red - Acknowledgement of receipt required but not received, [No color] - Acknowledgement of receipt not required and not received.
Record | Recording acknowledgement is a three step process: Entering the Date Acknowledged which defaults to Today Transfering the entered information to the selected document, This is accomplished by double clicking the first column containing document's Maker's Reference. Double clicking again, clears the entry to the document. If the "Apply to ALL Documents" is selected, then all documents are updated. This allows the acknowledgement date of the bulk of the documents to be entered, and then dates for the others may be selectively entered as appropriate. Save the acknowledgments.
Expediting | The process of expediting acknowledgements is thus just a matter of ensuring that the default display is empty. The report which can be generated from the list of transmittals is: Restricted to the highlighted JobNo, Is subject to the same filtering criteria, Optionally may include the contents of the transmittal. Click to view a sample report including the contents. The report which can be generated from the list of documents contains the full content of the selected transmittal irrespective of display criteria. Click to view a sample report.
EDI | The use of EDI for the making and recording of acknowledgements is covered in the Using EDI section.
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Duplicates | There is occasionally a need to regenerate the mandatory transmittal documents. The Print Duplicates facility enables that. The transmittals are similar, except that: The word "Duplicate" is printed on the generated transmittal documents, The session message on the transmittal note is NOT printed, but replaced with the following message: "Duplicate Transmittal Note Dated dd/mm/yy" An electronic version can be exported to the Spool File directory but not directly emailed.
| Only the mandatory transmittal documents may be regenerated viz: Transmittal Notes. Click to view an example. Acknowledgement Notes (if available). Click to view an example. Comment Sheets (if available). Click to view an example.
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Remove FTP Uploads | Uploads consist of one directory per transmittal or print order, each containing one zip file of the transmitted documents. The file naming convention allows matching with acknowledgement information. When the FTP directory is examined, if receipt of all the transmitted documents has been made, then this is indicated, and the upload is suitable for removal. The discretion of Document Control must be exercised regarding removal of the others. The message below the Remove button indicates how many uploads were found. They may be for other jobs, thus the number indicated may not match the number of uploads shown.
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Enquiries | The enquiries are a quick way to see if and when a specific revision of a document was issued. There are two enquiry screens, one for each variety of document.
Own Issues |
Other's Issues | To generate a report for a specific document, use the Own or Others Document Enquiry. See Technical Documents, Own or Others Documents, Enquiries.
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Reports | There are three reports available: Issues by Recipient, Issues by Document Distribution Matrix
Report | The definition of the Issues by Document report is virtually identical to the Issues by Recipient report except for the order in which the definition information is entered, and the order in which the resulting information is presented. The filtering on both reports is extensive. The number of issues of documents meeting the specified filter can be counted using the Count button. The output on the report can be enhanced or restricted as follows: Exclude advice Include a message notifying when the Latest Revision has NOT been issued Restrict to output to just the Latest Revisions of documents. Click to view a sample report by Recipient. Click to view a sample report by Document.
Matrix | For a specified Job, the Matrix report analyses what revisions have been issued to a specified set of people for a specified set of documents. The report gives more detail than can be presented on screen. There are three tabs as follows: List of recipients to be analysed, List of documents upon which the analysis is to be performed, The results of the analysis, following which a report may be generated.
| The JobNo and the recipients for which an analysis is required must be specified.
| Once a JobNo has been specified, the documents may be selected. Either One's Own or Other People's documents must be specified. Changing the Type clears the list of documents selected for the analysis.
| When both documents and possible recipients have been specified, selecting the Matrix tab causes the analysis to be conducted and the results to be displayed, from which the report may be generated.
| Click to view a sample report
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