AODocs V50 Release notes

Dear AODocs users,


Please find below a list of the major new features and improvements in AODocs version 50.


Launch details

Rollout pace: From 9 to 11 April 2019

Impact: All end-users


Video: AODocs R50 highlights

Check out this video highlighting the major changes we made for AODocs R50.


End-user interface

Major changes

Improved search for libraries on the AODocs homepage

We know how important it is for you to identify your workflow tasks quickly. To meet this need, the number of pending workflow tasks in each library you can access is now displayed directly on the AODocs homepage.

Along with filters to display libraries by type, name or those selected as your favorites, you can also filter libraries based on whether you have pending tasks in them.

We also know that most AODocs users don’t use a hierarchical organization of labels to navigate through their libraries. We therefore optimized the layout of the homepage to hide the left column when no labels have been configured by AODocs super administrators. This leaves more space for the list of libraries.

To introduce these changes, we made some global changes to the organization of the homepage:

  • On the left: labels to organize libraries hierarchically (if any)
  • In the middle:
    • search bar (for libraries)
    • indication of the number of libraries
    • display settings: layout (grid or list) and order (alphabetical or last time accessed)
  • On the right, toggle filters:
    • favorite libraries
    • libraries by type (Team Folder, Secured Folder, Document Management library)
    • libraries with pending workflow tasks for current user

Additionally, the actions available from the library cards are organized more clearly:

  • On the left, actions specific to the current user: favorite libraries and workflow task count (if any)
  • On the right:
    • actions for all users: open library in Google Drive (available for Team Folders and Secured Folders)
    • actions for administrators: access the library administration, manage permissions and manage library labels (if any)

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Minor changes

Details of actions that take some time to complete

It can be frustrating to wait for an action to complete without having a sense of its progress. We have therefore introduced a new page called Job status, which you can open via a link if the job triggered by your action takes more than a few seconds to complete.

We’ll progressively extend this to all actions. Right now, it’s available for administrator actions on documents and folders.

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Extended document export feature

Note: This is only for library administrators.

We made some changes to complete the export feature and to address some specific cases raised.

When transferring documents from one library to another, you can now select the document class into which the documents will be exported in the target library. If you don’t select a document class, the default behaviour remains.

Additionally, we improved the library selector to provide easy access to your favorite libraries at the top of the list.

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You may need to reorganize the content of a library to meet your business requirements. For this reason, we introduced the possibility to export documents within a given library, which allows you to change the document class of the selected documents.

Note: As for the standard export, property values may be lost in the process if the properties in the source and target document classes don’t match.

Learn more:

Miscellaneous

In views:

  • The left side panel (known as the ‘browse by’ panel) has been stabilized visually when displaying a long list of values, such as a folder tree with multiple levels.
  • Person fields configured with a validation rule now have restricted autocomplete in filters. Learn more: What are views?

In documents:

  • When a document has one or more outdated category values defined, users can now save the document. Outdated values are still not available for selection in the list of values.
  • When creating a document from a document template, a message indicates that attachments from the template can’t be used until the document is actually created.

Library administration interface

Major changes

Improved organization of documents after creation

We know that sometimes documents need to be organized in a dedicated folder structure. We therefore introduced the option of defining a default folder in document templates, in the same way that you can already set default values for properties and add attachments.

When you define a folder in a document template, the folder will be used by default when users create documents using the AODocs interface.

Learn more: Configure document templates.

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Notes:
– Over the next few releases, we’re planning to rework the document creation flow, especially for Secured Folders via the AODocs interface. The feature to create a document from a template with a default folder will naturally be embedded into this project.
– The idea behind this revamp is to align the creation logic between the different types of libraries. In Secured Folders, users will have to choose the document class (or template) before selecting or uploading an attachment and then conclude with setting values for properties, so the document is complete when it’s saved.
Learn more: Revamped document creation flow.

Remove unnecessary pending workflow tasks

As mentioned above (see Improved search for libraries on the AODocs homepage), we know that workflow tasks are essential to your daily work. This is why we introduced a new setting for workflow user actions: you can exclude documents from the pending workflow tasks based on the actions they trigger. This allows users to focus on documents that require their attention.

Just like excluding documents in a given workflow state from the pending workflow tasks, administrators can now exclude documents according to the actions available on them.

Learn more: Configuration — Add workflow transitions.

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More readable workflow notification configuration

As a milestone to simplify and centralize the content of workflow emails - which currently has to be replicated in each workflow state - we introduced a revamped interface to configure workflow state notifications.

Essentially, we split it into two separate parts: Action emails and Notification emails.

The functional logic remains the same. However, when we introduce (hopefully soon!) the new screen to configure workflow email templates, you’ll be able to reference an email template directly in the state instead of manually copying and pasting the content (which potentially evolves with your business processes).

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We’re also planning to configure reminders for action emails from here in a few releases.

Minor changes

Show the reason for trashing documents directly in the trash

Most of the time, administrators managing deleted documents want to see the reason given by contributors who deleted documents. This reason is now displayed in a new column in the list of trashed documents.


Previously, this was displayed only in the document page itself and not via the library administration.

Miscellaneous

  • When you create a role, you’re now redirected directly to the page where you can choose members – this saves one click!
  • Continued improvements and coverage of the audit log events for better traceability of user actions in AODocs.

Domain administration interface

Major changes

Track revoked user licenses

Following the recent changes to AODocs license management (in Release 49), we now show the list of users who can’t log back into AODocs because their licenses were revoked by super administrators. You can also see how long until they can log back in.

This provides transparency for super administrators when managing licenses on their domain.

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Minor changes

Find storage accounts based on their statistics

If you’ve defined lots of storage accounts to manage your millions of documents, you’ll be interested in the new filter available in the storage accounts page. This allows you to filter storage accounts by their statistics, using min-max ranges.

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Some fixes

End-user interface:

  • Find a draft version when trying to relate documents
  • Viewer action messages are now displayed as scripted (no further encoding)
  • Only users of the domain are suggested to transfer ownership back to a user
  • Hide Create folder button in the Move dialog if user doesn’t have rights to create folders
  • Parallel transitions now auto-complete if the audience has reduced to people who already validated
  • Documents shared on the web no longer request AODocs authentication when using the shareable link (but they are still detected and consume an AODocs license)
  • Custom properties in related documents are now displayed immediately after adding them (no need for an extra refresh).

Administration interface:

  • Workflows can no longer have the same name in the same library
  • Workflow fields (like “State”) referenced in views now prevent the workflow from being deleted, to avoid configuration inconsistencies
  • Creating documents via the “Emails” feature supports a greater number of files at the same time
  • Render actions can now be deleted properly from relation definition

The AODocs interface now officially no longer supports Internet Explorer 10. We still recommend using Google Chrome for an optimized experience.


And so much more brewing...

Progressive release: end-user interface improvements

We’re progressively rolling out the following features.

  • Choose the behaviour when you click the link of a document (Title column) in views:
    • open in the same tab or in a new tab
    • open the document
    • open the first attachment (if it exists)
  • Select what to display by default in documents. Current behavior:
    • in Team Folders and Secured Folders, the attachment opens
    • in Document Management libraries, the Properties panel opens

Important: To benefit from these features before they’re made available in the AODocs interface, you can liaise with your Customer Service contact.

Features brewing

The following features are already brewing. We’re now figuring out how to get them to you in the coming releases. Stay tuned for later communication about their release plan.

Revamped document creation flow

We’re revamping the menu that opens when you press the New button, to greatly improve the user experience:

  • the items will be grouped by document class when several templates are defined in a class
  • a search bar allows you to search among the available choices
  • there’s a separate button to create related documents

We’re also planning on introducing a new option which is functionally similar to:

  • Duplicate a document, where the document is entirely cloned

and

  • Create a document from a document template, where parts of the configuration are predefined

The new option prepares a copy of the current document (it’s available only from the New button on the document page), just like when you create a document from a template.

You can customize the copied document (if you have the right to) before actually saving it.

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Creating a new document                                         Creating a new related item

Configuration screen for workflow email templates

At the workflow state level, it’s now possible to reference the content of an email template rather than duplicate the configuration in each relevant state. This way, changing the configuration is a one-off action (in the email template) instead of having to do it in each workflow state.

To make it easy to configure email templates, we’ll introduce a new screen where you can create email templates before using them in the workflow state notifications pop-up.

Workflow reminders

Workflow reminders are action emails that are sent regularly to users involved in workflow transitions.

We are aware of how complex it is to implement a logic of reminders within a workflow to make sure collaborators are reminded of their ongoing workflow tasks.

That’s why in 2019 we plan to provide library administrators with a flexible mechanism to send regular action emails to users involved in workflow transitions.

More revamped screens: first, document classes

We have two main aims when we revamp screens:

  • improve usability and consistency between screens
  • introduce new features and expose hidden features

The next big revamp is the document class configuration screen! We know that a lot of people are looking forward to finally being able to configure sections for properties and so better organize the document page.

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Comments

1 comment
  • I like the improvements made in version 50.

    Under so much more is brewing:

    Choose the behavior when you click the link of a document (Title column) in views:
    open in the same tab or in a new tab
    open the document
    ** open the first attachment (if it exists)

    When will that ability be available?

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