Controlled copy – How to manage and why is it helpful?

The AGIR software ensures total control over your documents and their versions in a 100% digital format. In most situations, the AGIR version is the original version (the only controlled copy), so you do not need to print any document.

However, in some situations (ex: places with no internet access) it is necessary to provide paper copies to the final users. In AGIR, these copies are named controlled copies.

The controlled copy feature allows you to:

• Set a place/Archive list where controlled copies can be published (ex: “Warehouse”)
• Establish a Manager/Owner for each archive (someone who's responsible for the copy).
• Set a place/archive where controlled copies should be published, for each document.
  
• Notify each owner about the existence of new documents/document revisions existing, automatically or manually.

How to create a document-controlled copy?

1. Open the document page (Image below)

2. Click on Controlled Copy, select the copy (or copies) which you want to create, and click on Save.

Each copy is associated with a date/hour/place, and a user (who’s responsible for the copy). You can send a notification manually by clicking on Send.

This action will send a notification email to each user who's responsible for the copies currently in the Valid for sending status.

If you prefer to send an individual email, click on the paper plane icon. The user who’s responsible for a place/archive will receive the document copy by e-mail, print it, and put it on the place/archive for which it is responsible.

Controlled copies can have 3 statuses:

• Valid and Sent- Corresponds to an existing copy that has already been sent to the user (who's responsible for the controlled copy).

 NOTE  Click on the paper plane icon to send this copy again.

• Valid for sending- Corresponds to an existing copy that has not yet been sent to the user (who's responsible for the controlled copy).
• Invalid- Corresponds to an outdated copy from a controlled copy. Copies become outdated when a new document version is created. The outdated copy should not be sent.

 TIP   You can enable an automatic notifications service of the controlled copy. AGIR will automatically send a new controlled copy/copies revision notification email with this service. This way you won't have to worry about sending these copies manually. The tutorial on How to enable automatic controlled copy notifications?  explains how to enable this service.

Here's an example of a notification e-mail for controlled copies (you may translate this template to your local language):

 TIP   Did you know you can customize a copy-controlled notification message? To do so, follow the next steps Agir Config > Documents > Controlled Copy email. You can now configure the email text according to your organization’s needs.

 PERMISSIONS  Agir Administrator’s permission is needed to edit the email text's configuration.

How to create a new place/archive and edit archives that already exist?

1. Open the document page (image below - you do not need to select a particular document. Clicking on any document entry of a given document workflow allows you to configure the archives since the archives are transversal in AGIR).

2. Click on Controlled Copy and then Manage/Edit.

In this menu, you can create a new place/archive, set a responsible, or edit locals/archives that already exist.

 PERMISSIONS  You need Agir Administrator permissions to create document-controlled copies, configure new places/archives, or configure a notification message.