CHAPTER 4: RECORD LINKS

Chapter 4: Record Links CHAPTER 4: RECORD LINKS Objectives The objectives are: Use Microsoft Dynamics NAV as the bridge to the company document management system. Create a link from a Microsoft Dynamics NAV form to a related document. Create a link from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to a Web site. Open a linked document from Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Delete a link. Move a link from one form to another in Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Discuss the best practices for the administration of record links. Introduction Microsoft Dynamics NAV can now be used to bridge the gap between the unstructured information in e-mail messages, local folders, and the structured information in a document management system. This is performed by linking the unstructured information to specific forms in Microsoft Dynamics NAV. This section introduces how to create links to documents and Web sites from Microsoft Dynamics NAV. It also shows how to open a link, delete a link, and move a link from one form to another. The final topics briefly introduce some best practices when administrating record links. Page 81

What's New in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 Application, Part I Bridge to the Document Management System Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 can be used as the bridge to the company document management system. The company document management system is defined as the structured system that holds all of a company's information. The system provides version control and the possibility to check documents in and out. Microsoft SharePoint is an example of such a system. A variety of other systems also exist. In addition to the document management system, a company frequently holds lots of unstructured data, for example in e-mail messages, spreadsheets, Web sites, and other documents. The new Record Links functionality enables users to add links from Microsoft Dynamics NAV to any Web site on the Internet or any document stored on SharePoint or a file server. This gives the user a better possibility for management and overview of relevant information. Create Links to Related Documents or Web Sites The new record links feature is a generic function that works in all areas in Microsoft Dynamics NAV. The new feature lets the user attach, open, and delete links to any record in Microsoft Dynamics NAV. The user can add links by using the paper clip in the toolbar, which opens the links window for that specific record. The short cut is CTRL + L. To indicate if the record has a link, the message bar will show the text "LINKS". The following two demonstrations show how to add a link to a document and a Web site. Demonstration Create Links to Related Documents The order processor at Cronus wants to save a customer letter for later reference. The document is stored in the SharePoint document library, and a link from there to the specific customer in Microsoft Dynamics NAV is created. Page 82

Chapter 4: Record Links Steps The order processor performs the following steps: 1. Open the customer letter in Word. 2. Select FILE SAVE AS and locate the relevant folder or upload it to the relevant SharePoint library. In this case it is located in http://team/sites/shared_documents. Name the file "Customer Letter." 3. Return to Microsoft Dynamics NAV. 4. Open the Sales and Marketing menu and then Order Processing and Customers. Open the Customer Card for the relevant customer. 5. In the Edit menu of the toolbar select Links, or click the new paper clip icon, or use Ctrl+L. The window Customer name Links appears. A list of all documents linked to the current customer card in the default document library is provided. If there are no links yet, the window is empty. 6. In the URL column, locate the relevant folder where the customer letter is located. In this example it is located in the folder http://team/sites/shared_documents. 7. Select the Word file that is named Customer Letter.doc. The User ID is automatically completed with the current user ID, and the Created date field is completed with today's date. The Customer letter in Word format is now linked to the customer card in Microsoft Dynamics NAV. 8. Open the linked document by clicking the Open button. 9. Close the window by clicking Esc. NOTE: It is important to give the document a description that makes it easy to find later, when there are many entries on this particular customer. The new document link is displayed as a small text at the bottom of the screen, "Links". When tabbing through the customer cards, it is easy to see which cards have documents added by looking at this text at the bottom of the screen. Page 83

What's New in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 Application, Part I Demonstration Create Links to Web Sites The order processor at Cronus wants to save a Web site as a link from a sales order in Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Steps The order processor performs the following steps: 1. Open the Sales and Marketing menu and then Order Processing and open a sales order. 2. Select the paper clip icon or use Ctrl+ L. 3. In the window Customer name Links that appears, write the URL to the Web site. In the description field add a short description of the Web site. Today's date is added automatically. 4. Open the linked Web site in the Internet browser by clicking the Open button. 5. Close the Web browser. 6. Close the window by clicking Esc. Demonstration Delete a Document Link The order processor at Cronus has previously created a link to a document from Microsoft Dynamics NAV, but now it is no longer needed. The order processor wants to delete the link. Steps The order processor performs the following steps: 1. From the Sales and Marketing menu, click Order Processing, and then open the sales order. 2. Right-click the selected sales order, where the link is no longer needed. Click the paper clip icon or use Ctrl +L. 3. In the screen that appears, select the link that must be deleted. 4. Delete the link by pressing the delete key or by right-clicking and selecting Delete. 5. A dialog box appears for confirmation of the deletion. 6. Click Yes to delete the selected link. 7. The selected link is deleted from the Links screen and the link no longer exists in the system. Page 84

Chapter 4: Record Links NOTE: Only the link to the document in Microsoft Dynamics NAV is deleted. The document itself still exists in the folder. Moving Links between Documents In some cases, a link is relevant on more than one form in Microsoft Dynamics NAV. For example, if a specific customer document is linked to a sales order, the same information must be available from the sales invoice after the sales order is posted. Therefore the link is copied to the invoice when the invoice is created. It is a rule that posting of a document in Microsoft Dynamics NAV copies the links from the original form to the new form. The link is also copied if a function is called that creates related documents. The link is copied in the following situations for sales, purchase and manufacturing documents in Dynamics NAV. Sales Blanket order to sales order Sales order posted and shipment document created Sales order posted and invoice created Return order to credit memo Return order to return receipt Sales quote to sales order Purchase Blanket order to order Purchase order to receipt document Purchase order and invoice created Return order to credit memo Return order to return shipment Purchase quote to purchase order Page 85

What's New in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 Application, Part I Manufacturing Transfer order to shipment Transfer order to received Best Practices for Administrating Record Links This topic covers some tips and hints that can be useful in the process of administrating record links. Renaming Documents Used in Links When renaming a record, the associated links must be updated in the Link System Table. The links must be updated because the record reference ID is changed when renaming a record. Therefore, the record reference ID in the Link System Table has to be updated. Users update the record reference ID by using the file search functionality to locate the old record and update the record reference ID in the Link System Table. Error Handling There is no validation of the URL when saving a link to a document in Microsoft Dynamics NAV. When the user later tries to open a URL that relates to an absent document, Microsoft Dynamics NAV will not show the error message. Instead, the default target application tries to open the document and it handles the error message. The reason why Microsoft Dynamics NAV does not try to verify a URL's correctness before opening it is that there may be many reasons why the URL is currently invalid. The functions to validate the URL are most likely unable to give the correct reason why it is not valid. Therefore, it is better handled by the target application. Permission Handling of Links Generally there is no special permission required to create links. If the user only has read permission for a record, the user is still able to create links. If the user does not have any permission at all for a table, the user will not see the records and will therefore not see the links. Sometimes it will be convenient, though, to control whether to allow for creating of links on a form. A developer will be able to turn off the possibility of adding links per form. Page 86

Chapter 4: Record Links Conclusion The enhanced integration possibilities in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 make it possible to create links to related documents in any document management system. This provides strengthened possibilities for structuring related information in complementary Microsoft systems and allows for a better overview of information. A document management system provides extensive possibilities for sharing information, for example between work teams across different locations, in addition to providing the capability for version control. Page 87

What's New in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 Application, Part I Lab 4.1 Create a Document Link Scenario: You are the order processor at Cronus. Create a link to a customer letter from a sales order in Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Challenge Yourself! Create a sales order. Create a small sample Word document titled Customer Letter. Create a link from the sales order to the sample document. Delete the link. Create a link from a sales order to a Web site. Need a Little Help? Follow these steps to create a link from a sales order to a customer letter: 1. Open the Sales and Marketing menu and then Order Processing. Create a new sales order. 2. Open Word. Create a new document and save it titled Customer letter. Close Word. 3. Return to the sales order in Microsoft Dynamics NAV. 4. Click the paper clip icon or use Ctrl+L. This opens the new Link function. 5. Browse to the relevant folder where the customer letter is located. To delete the link again, perform these steps: 1. From the Sales and Marketing menu, click Order Processing, and then open the sales order. 2. Right click on the selected sales order, where the link is no longer needed. Click the paper clip icon or use Ctrl+L. 3. Select and delete the link by pressing the delete key or by right clicking and selecting Delete. 4. Click Yes in the dialogue box that appears for confirmation of the deletion. 5. The selected link is deleted from the Links screen and the link no longer exists in the system. Page 88

Chapter 4: Record Links To create a link from a sales order to a web site, perform these steps: 1. From the Sales and Marketing menu, click Order Processing, and then open the sales order. 2. Click the paper clip icon or use the short cut Ctrl+L. 3. Write the URL of the web site and give it a short description. 4. Open the web site by clicking Open. Page 89

What's New in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 5.0 Application, Part I Quick Interaction: Lessons Learned Take a moment and write down three key points you have learned from this chapter: 1. 2. 3. Page 90