Word Templates in IPM

The use of Word Templates in IPM can create significant efficiencies in a number of areas.

The first way the templates can be used is as an alternative formatting tool for IPM Forms. By creating your IPM forms in Word and then adding them into the IPM Reports area you can easily take total ownership of how forms look when generated for third parties.

The second way Word Templates can be used in IPM is to generate non-IPM forms such as ITP's and any other document that an organisation currently produces using Word.

 

Using for IPM Forms.

Using Word Templates for IPM forms requires a number of steps to be followed. These steps in summary are:-

• Create a blank template for the document you wish to generate.
• Paste or create from scratch your form layout. It is quite easy to paste an existing layout onto the blank word template based on your current forms however in order to do so you may need to use a PDF to Word converter or alternatively have access and skills with SSRS.
• Insert your merge fields into the template.
• Load your template into the System Document Templates List.
• Go to IPM Settings>IPM Reports and either amend your existing report record for your document or add a new record for the word template version. When you do one of these things, make sure you check the "CRM Merge Report" checkbox so that the system knows to use word merge technology not SQL Reporting technology.

There are couple of things to consider when preparing your template.

• Templates can only use data that exists n the record and cannot create data through queries. This means that is you need a total or some sort of manipulation. Records also rely on table relationships and filters cannot be applied so if you have a list, for example subcontract line items, it is not possible to split these into original items and items from Variations/Change Orders.
• IPM Standard SSRS forms manipulate the Recipients to give you a Primary person and then CC's. This is not supported in Word Templates and it may be necessary for you to add the primary recipient to the document and then not have CC's shown. IPM are working to determine a mechanism to deal with this issue however none currently exists.

Using for Other Documents such as ITP's and ITC's

Documents can be created as templates to support any need that requires merging IPM Data into a document. Following the steps below will allow you to successfully use these facilities and manage you templates.

• Navigate to the record that will be used for the merge, for example if ITP's are to be generated go to the inspections record and select to create a word template.
• Add the linked entities as required.
• Save the template as a blank inspection template.
• Copy the Blank Inspection Template and name it after the first ITP to create for example ITP-Concrete Slab
• Edit your new copied template to suit your requirement. This is usually a copy and paste from a previous ITP document.
• Insert your merge fields and save.
• Upload your new template into Settings>Templates>Document Templates
• Because Dynamics does not allow you to extract your template back out of Document Templates we recommend you now add you template into the IPM Managed Documents area to ensure you have a permanent copy of the template so that it can be modified at a later date and reuploaded.

It is possible to automate the generation of these merged documents using workflows. We have created a simple dialogue to allow you to do this. Please contact IPM Support if you would like to have access to the dialogues.