With controlled document templates, you can create and manage templates using regular Vault documents as the template source file. Controlled document templates use a Steady state Vault document as the template document. Documents created from the controlled document template use the Vault template document as the source file.
You can only create a controlled document template after an Admin completes the necessary configurations. See Configuring Controlled Document Templates for detailed instructions.
Creating Controlled Document Templates
To create a controlled document template:
- Navigate to any Vault Library document that is not in the Steady state. This document will be the source file when users create a document from the template.
- In the Template Document Type field, select a location where the template will appear in the document type hierarchy. See details about the Template Document Type field below. If this field doesn’t appear, you can’t create a controlled document template for documents of this type.
- Transition the document to the Steady state.
When the document enters the Steady state, Vault automatically creates a new controlled document template. The template inherits its name from the document by default, unless an Admin has defined it differently. The template is immediately available for use when users create a document from a template, although it may take a few minutes for the template to appear in Business Admin > Templates.
You can select the same Template Document Type for multiple documents, but you can only use a given document as the source file for one controlled document template.
Note: Controlled document templates are converted to basic document templates during cloning or refreshing. This is because the template’s Vault document is not retained in a cloned or refreshed Vault. However, once this document is added to the new or refreshed Vault, you can convert the basic template. See also Administering Sandbox Vaults.
Using Vault Loader to Create Controlled Document Templates
Users with access to the Vault Loader can create controlled document templates by loading documents in Steady state with the Template Document Type field populated. When the load is complete, Vault creates the controlled document templates automatically.
About the Template Document Type Field
The Template Document Type field controls the template’s position in the document type hierarchy, which defines the document type for which the controlled document template appears when you create a document from a template.
For example, if you set the Template Document Type field to Reference Materials, the template only appears when you select the Training > Material > Reference Material document type. If you set the Template Document Type field to Base, the template will appear for all document types.
You can assign controlled document templates to any location in the document type hierarchy, regardless of the template document’s classification.
You can create a reference constraint using the object’s Enabled field on the Template Document Type shared field to display only active document types in the Select Document dialog.
Updating Controlled Document Templates
You can update a controlled document template in two ways:
- Versioning a document and approving the new version to Steady state. Vault updates the existing controlled document template with the latest Steady state version of the template document source file.
- Selecting a different location in the document type hierarchy via the Template Document Type field and re-approving the document to Steady state. Vault updates the existing controlled document template and moves it to the new position in the document type hierarchy.
Deleting Controlled Document Templates
Neither Admins nor Vault users can directly delete controlled document templates once they are created. However, Vault deletes controlled document templates in the following circumstances:
- When the existing version of the template document moves out of its Steady state
- When you delete the template document or its latest Steady state version
- When you clear the value in the Template Document Type field and re-approve the document to Steady state
Deleting a template document has no impact on the existing documents already created from the template.
Creating Documents from Controlled Templates
Users create documents from controlled document templates in the same way as basic document templates. When users create documents from templates, there is no visual distinction between basic document templates and controlled document templates. See Creating Documents for more information about creating documents from templates.
Document Relationships
When you create a document from a controlled document template, Vault automatically creates a Based On document relationship to allow for traceability. You can see this relationship in the Doc Info Fields Panel of a document created from a template, or in the template document’s Where Used view. You can also run document relationship reports for the Based On relationship. See details about reporting below.
Original Source with Controlled Document Templates
If your Admin enables original source tracking, Vault can also keep track of the original source document using the Original Source relationship. For example, Gladys has a WonderDrug NA document. She assigns a Template Document Type to her document, approves it to Steady state, and Vault creates a new WonderDrug NA Template. She then creates a document from the WonderDrug NA Template, which she names WonderDrug USA. On WonderDrug USA, she assigns a Template Document Type, approves it to Steady state, and Vault creates a new WonderDrug USA Template. She creates a document from the WonderDrug USA Template, which she names WonderDrug East. The Original Source relationship for WonderDrug East is her WonderDrug NA document.
Reporting
You can run document relationship reports using the Based On and Original Source document relationships and filtering on the Template Document Type field. For example, a Copy with Original report type with the filters Original > Template Document Type is not blank and Copy > Template Document Type is blank would return all documents created from templates, along with their relationship to the template document.
Audit Trail
The audit trail for a document derived from a controlled document template includes the Based On relationship, the Original Source relationship (if enabled), and an event that lists the controlled document template used and the template document that is the source file: ‘Document created from template “<template name>” using template document “<template document number> (<template document version>)”.’ For example, ‘Document created from template “WonderDrug NA Template” using “PM-WD-00001 (1.0)”.’
The audit trail on a template document includes an event each time the Template Document Type is set or reset. For example, “Template Document Type set to Form.”