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Working with Documentation
Documentation in Web Tracks covers tracking items such as books, training materials, DVD's, etc. Web tracks also allows you to track Electronic Documentation (Files attached to a Document record). A user must have Inventory Permissions to Access the Documentation Module
Documents within Web Tracks can be linked to computer, peripheral or software asset records. This allows the powerful ability of shared attachments.
Question
How would shared attachments help me?
Answer
Let's say you want to store a PDF Manual for a UPS Power Supply that is tracked as a peripheral. When you create the peripheral record for the power supply you could simply attach the PDF manual to this record.
Now what if you had 20 of those same power supplies? Would you want to attach the same document to each of these records? What if the manufacturer updated the manual? You would then have to modify all 20 records. It would also be very inefficient (to the database) to attach the same document to each of the 20 peripheral records.
The solution is to create a single document record within Web Tracks and then Link this document to the 20 different peripheral records. Using this method the database only stores a single copy of the attachment. Furthermore if the attachment is modified all related links to the document will automatically reference the updated document.
Adding Documentation
From the Documentation List click the Add command.
You can also quickly duplicate similar documentation records by clicking the duplicate record command. Simply enter a new documentation Tag number and Web Tracks does the rest.
Deleting Documentation
Select an item from the Documentation List and click the Delete command.
Linking Documentation to Inventory Assets
This can be accomplished in one of two ways:
1. Edit a Documentation record then open the tab to the type of asset to which you will be linking. Click the 'Add' command button and a list of inventory items for the corresponding type will be display. Select the item(s) you wish to associate the document with and then choose 'Link'.
2. From the Computer, Peripheral and Software Asset detail forms you may also assign documentation. Simply edit the record for the item that you wish to link to a document. Switch to the documents tab and then press the 'Add' command.
Checking-Out Documentation Assets to Users
Documentation assets can be checked in or out by any Web Tracks user who has inventory privileges. This most likely would not apply to Electronic Documents but you may wish to use this feature to check out physical documentation assets such as DVD's, Books, Training materials, etc...
To check-out documentation assets to your users, just edit the documentation record and select the User ID from the 'Checked Out To' drop down list. The Web Tracks Inventory User ID is automatically displayed in the 'Checked Out By' box.
To check-in documentation, simply clear the entry for 'Checked Out To'.
Attaching Files to Documentation Records
When you attach a file to a document record you can think of this file as a 'Shared Attachment'. This is because documentation records can be linked to Computers, Peripherals and Software Assets. This is a one to many relationship. Therefore a single document can be associated with multiple computers, peripherals and software assets records.
- Switch to the Attachment tab in the Documentation Detail form
- Click the 'Add' Command
- Browse to the file
- Click the 'Upload' Command
The file is now stored in the database with the associated documentation record.
For more information on Attachments see Working with File Attachments.
Record History
Web Tracks records any changes made to a documentation asset. Therefore if you checked out a book to a user last week and they checked it in today, this information is now stored in the record's history field. |