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Manage Files & Documents on work items
Manage Files & Documents on work items

For every job you manage there can be a number of files involved. Karbon brings these all together in one place.

Erin Jamison avatar
Written by Erin Jamison
Updated over a week ago

What happens with the files and documents that are sent to me? How do I make sure that a file is stored against a specific job? And how can I manage my files and documents and download them in case I need them in the future? These are all questions that are answered in this article.

Index

Files & Documents

As well as bringing together all emails, notes, and tasks, all files and documents relating to a piece of work can be stored against the work item.

Furthermore, all files attached to an email that’s linked to a piece of work will be automatically stored against it in the work item's Documents tab.

Files attached to comments on client tasks will also appear in the work item's documents tab (however files attached to regular task comments will not be). Additionally, documents can be shared, saved and organized using an outside Document Management System.

Once the work is completed, all files and documents will remain with the work item. Karbon does not automatically archive or delete documents after a certain period of time.

You can also upload files manually, rename all files (so they are easier to find later) and delete them if they are no longer relevant.

Document Management System

Connecting to a Document Management System

Connecting with your Document Management System in Karbon allows you to manage all files related to a work item from a single place. You can also easily copy client files from Karbon directly to your Document Management System.

To set up the integration, open your Settings off of the main menu and select Document Storage. Currently, you will be able to connect to Dropbox or OneDrive (inc Sharepoint).

Keep in mind that the Dropbox integration is built for Dropbox Business - Standard & Advanced Plans (not the Business Professional or Personal plans). The user connecting Karbon to DropBox will need to be an admin user in the Document Management System.

Once that connection is set up, please instruct each team member to log in to their own Dropbox via their profile page in Karbon.

Connecting folders to a work item

After setting up the Document Management System in Karbon, you can then begin to connect individual folders to a work item. Follow the following 3 steps to set that up:

  • Step 1: Navigate to the Documents tab in a Work Item

  • Step 2: In the Connect Folder area, click on the Connect Folder button. The folder selector modal will appear

  • Step 3: Browse and select the preferred folder for the Work Item and click Connect

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Auto-create new folders for repeating work items

Automatically create the required folders in your Document Management System and start copying work files when a repeating work item is started (ie. when tasks and budgets are created for the work).

To set up, go into your work item's repeat settings and scroll down to 'Connected Folder' to auto-create folders.

This will create folders for any work items in the schedule that have had their tasks and budget created.

You will also see the folders created within your Document Management System.

Best Practice Tip: If you find that folders aren't creating automatically, it's best to check what your naming convention was for the folders. If they included the special characters '+' or '&' this could be the cause of the issue.

Copy files from a work item to your Document Management System

  • Navigate to the Documents tab in a Work Item

  • In the Karbon Storage area, select the files that you want to copy across and click Copy. The folder selector modal will appear

  • Browse and select the destination DropBox folder and click Copy Here

Share a folder or file link from your Document Management System in Karbon

While writing an email or note in Karbon, you can easily share a whole folder or link to the specific file you’d like to share.

  • Click on the attachment button

  • Select your preferred Document Management System and browse for the file you want to share

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Keep in mind that the permission setup in Document Management System will apply to any user trying to access the link. If the user doesn’t have access, they will be shown a screen where they can request access.

Karbon Storage

Uploading a file to a work item

Go to the work item, and select the Documents tab, then click on Upload to manually upload a file.

Drag & Drop files from your computer

You can additionally add items to your work item by dragging and dropping them from your computer without the need of selecting the paperclip icon and browsing your computer.

Rename, edit or delete documents on a work item

By clicking on options '...' you’ll be able to choose whether to rename or delete (archive) it.

Note: You can unarchive an item by going into the Karbon storage clicking the options ‘...’ and choosing Go To Archive

Downloading Documents

Any files that are listed under the Documents tab of a work item or contact can be downloaded individually, or bulk download.

To download a single file, simply click on the file name.

To download the items in bulk, select the items you’d like to download and click the ‘Download’ button.

Files on work items on a repeating schedule

You can specify the Connect Folder setting for a repeating work series. If enabled, Karbon will automatically connect new work in the series to the specified folder in your Document Management System (e.g. Dropbox, OneDrive) and start copying files across.

In the Connected Folder section of Repeating Settings, specify the DMS folder to connect to and if you would like the files to be automatically copied across.

For existing work items in the series, the setting will be applied if a connected folder has not been set up yet. If an existing work item is already connected, it will not be overwritten by the repeating work settings.

As a new work item is created in the series, it will be connected when tasks and budgets are created for the work. This schedule can be adjusted in the repeating work setting so the connection is not used before the work starts.

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