Document Attach in Dynamics GP: Using and Enabling

Are You Still filing?  Let Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 R2 Do The Filing For You.

In the past, the ability to attach documents and images to your records in Microsoft Dynamics GP has been addressed through OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) notes.

The process of getting those documents and images attached was less than desirable.  In order to attach an image in Dynamics GP required the user to scan the hard document to a soft copy and save it to a reachable file location.  Then, you needed to open the transaction in GP and attach it to an OLE note.

This three step approach has been replaced in Dynamics GP 2013 R2 with a feature called Document Attachment.

There Are Several Benefits That You Can Gain From Using The New Document Attachment Feature:

• Easy to use interface: Accessing the Document Attach window is now more accessible and available for all transaction entry windows.  Anywhere a window-, transaction-, or record-level note can be added, a document can be attached.
• Fewer steps to attach a document: With a Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) enabled scanner/printer, you can pull images into GP from your scanning device.
• Reduced file location management: Images and documents are stored directly within the SQL database.  You no long have to manage file locations for each individual workstation.
  • I have included the database table structure below.
• Document security is now maintained within GP: You no longer have to manage file level security for sensitive documents being maintained.  These documents are now part of SQL and GP security is used to limit access to these documents and images.
• Easy Document Management: Document Utilities lets you purge old attachments by date.

Enabling Document Attachments in Dynamics GP

To begin using the tool, you simply need to enable document attaching in your system, following:

Microsoft Dynamics GP >> Tools >> Setup >> Company >> Document Attachment Setup

Help >> About ThisWindow (F1) will give you a full description on this setup window, but here is a quick start guide with some tips to help get you on your way.

• Mark ‘Allow Document Attachments’ to enable Document Attachments.
• Select a default location. This file location should be the location where you are storing your soft copies to attach.
• Select the Master Records you would like to have flow to documents.
  • This option would allow you, for example, to attach a product image to a master Item Number. This image would then link itself to any transaction this item was placed on.

With these setups complete, you are now ready to use the new Document Attachments feature.

Using Document Attachments in Dynamics GP

You will find that there are two ways to access the Document Attachments window.

The first option is to click on the new paper clip icon, which you will see in some of the Dynamics GP windows:

The second option is to click on the OLE notes icon as you may have done in the past:

And then click on the paper click icon within OLE notes:

With either option, you will open the Document Attachment Management window:

To attach a document or image to this record, simply click the Attach button in the lower right, browse to the document, and select it.  If you have a WIA scanner, the Scan button will also be available.  With this, you can scan the document or image directly to GP without having to store it first.  Simply place the document in the scanner, select the Scan button, and GP will bring the image in.

An Example of Document Attachment Deployment

In this example, I have a business proposal attached to the Customer Master Record (Customer Card), and image of a product attached to the Item Master Record (Item Card), and have chosen to allow both to Flow Through from the Document Attachment Setup window.

As I enter an invoice for this customer, both images have automatically come into my Invoice document.

 

You will notice that the original icons,  and  have been replaced with  and . These are indicators that you have a document attached.

Document Attachment SQL Tables

• CO40100: Document Attach Setup
• CO00101: Document Attach Master
• CO00102: Document Attach Reference
• CO00103: Document Attach Properties
• CO00104: Document Attach Status
• CO00105: Document Attach E-Mail

You are now well on your way to begin attaching documents in Dynamics GP.  If you require any assistance, please reach out to us.