AMIA Connect Document Collaboration and Management Guide

As part of the launch of our new online community platform, AMIA now offers its members access to Microsoft Sharepoint for document collaboration and management.

This feature allows multiple users to edit a document simultaneously with real-time updates. Changes made by one user are immediately visible to others.

File formats supported include Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), PowerPoint (.pptx), OneNote (.one), and Visio (.vsdx).

Each community will have its own dedicated Microsoft SharePoint site to securely store and collaborate on documents. This guide will provide an overview of the key features that community members can utilize for effective document management and teamwork.

Note: Only members of the specific online community will have access to that community's dedicated SharePoint site. This ensures the privacy and security of your community's documents.

Resource Libraries

The primary storage locations for files in your community's SharePoint site will be the document libraries found under the community Library Tab. Some key features to be aware of:

  • Upload and Share Files: Easily add documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and other files to the library. You can also share files to your community.
  • Version History: SharePoint automatically tracks changes made to documents, allowing you to revert to previous versions if needed.
  • Co-Authoring: Multiple community members can simultaneously edit the same document, with changes tracked and merged seamlessly.

To View an Existing Document

Community files are found under the Library Tab. Files can be standalone or grouped in a folder.

  • Understanding File Icons
    • Files with a green icon were uploaded or created directly in SharePoint. These files can be edited in SharePoint.
    • Files without a green icon have been uploaded to the community. These files can only be viewed or downloaded, not edited.
  • Viewing Files
    • To view a file, simply click on the document name. This will open the file for you to view.

Editing a SharePoint Document

  1. To make changes to a SharePoint document, click the "Edit in SharePoint" button.
  2. This will open the document directly in SharePoint, where you can make the necessary edits.
  3. Changes you make to the SharePoint document will be automatically saved.

Refresh from Sharepoint

  1. After making changes to the SharePoint document, the updates may not immediately show in the document preview window under the Library Tab.
  2. To ensure the community resource is updated, click the "Refresh from SharePoint" button.
  3. This will update the title and content of the resource to match the latest version from SharePoint.
  4. If you want to notify community members about the changes to this resource, check the "Start a Discussion about this post" option.

Remember, the "Refresh from SharePoint" button should be used after you've made any changes to the document in SharePoint to ensure the community resource is up-to-date.

Downloading a Document Copy

  1. If you need to download a copy of the document, click the "Download Resource" button.
  2. You can choose to download the document in either Microsoft Word or PDF format.

Creating a New Document

  1. Click the "New Collaboration" button to open the "Upload New Resource" window.
  2. In the "Title" field, enter a name for your new document.
  3. If you want to save the file to a specific folder within the community, select a "Parent Folder" from the dropdown list. Note that folders must be created beforehand in order to save files to them.
  4. In the "Description" field, you can add details about the document. This field has a rich text editor to help you format the text as needed. Alternatively, you can copy and paste existing text to create a new document directly in this field.
  5. To upload a file, click the "Choose Files" button and select the file(s) from your local computer.
  6. The "Categories" field is optional. As you start typing, the system will suggest relevant categories that have been predefined.
  7. If you would like to create a new discussion post about the document, select the "Start a Discussion about this post" option.
  8. Ignore the "Legacy CRM Code" field, as this is used for synchronization with the AMIA customer relationship management (CRM) software.
  9. Once you have filled out all the necessary information, click the "Create" button to save the new document.

Restoring Previous Document Versions

To view and restore a previous version of a document:

  1. From the document's File tab, select "Version History".
  2. The Version History pane will appear on the right side of your screen. Click the arrow icon to expand the list of available versions.
  3. Locate the version you want to restore and click on it to select it.
  4. At the top of the page, click the "Restore" button.

Clicking the Restore button will replace the current version of the document with the selected historical version. This allows you to easily revert to a previous state of the file if needed.

It's important to note that restoring a version will overwrite the latest changes, so be sure this is the intended action before proceeding. You may want to download a copy of the current version first, just in case.

The Version History feature in SharePoint is a valuable tool for tracking changes and recovering from accidental edits or deletions. By following these steps, you can easily navigate the version history and restore an earlier iteration of a document as required.

Collaborating with Others on a Document

SharePoint makes it extremely easy to collaborate on a document with your colleagues.

To open a document in SharePoint Online, simply click on the document name. It will open in Office Online web apps, where you can immediately start editing.

When you have the document open, you'll see icons in the top right-hand corner indicating the other people currently working on the document with you. SharePoint allows for real-time collaboration, so you can see the changes being made by others as they happen.

Due to system constraints, users interacting in SharePoint will be shown as anonymous "Guests" (Guest 1, Guest 2, etc.). To provide context and identify yourself, we recommend using the built-in commenting features.

The rich text editor in SharePoint is optimized for web-based content creation and collaboration, offering basic text formatting options. The mode menu in the top right corner allows you to switch between different views and functionalities:

  • Editing: Enables direct modification of the document's content, layout, and formatting. This supports real-time collaborative editing and updating.
  • Reviewing: Allows adding comments and suggesting changes to the document.
  • Viewing: Provides a read-only mode to preview the document before publishing or saving changes. From here, you can print or download the document in .docx or .pdf format.

Note that, unless finalized, the downloaded copy will include any user comments and tracked changes. To get a clean .pdf, choose the Print option or download the finalized document from the Resource library.

Additional Key features

  • Track Changes: Highlights all edits and modifications made to the document, showing who made each change.
  • Show Comments: Lets reviewers add notes, questions, or suggestions directly on the document without altering the content. The Track Changes and Show Comments options are available in both Editing and Reviewing modes.

Enabling Video Conferencing

SharePoint's built-in video conferencing capabilities are not supported for guest users. However, you can work around this by leveraging a third-party video conferencing tool while still maintaining SharePoint's document collaboration features.

Some recommended third-party options include:

  • Zoom
  • Google Meet
  • Microsoft Teams (if your organization uses it)

To enable video conferencing for guest users:

  1. Set up a meeting using your chosen third-party video conferencing tool.
  2. Share the meeting link or invite with the guest users who need to participate.
  3. Continue collaborating on documents in SharePoint as you normally would.

This approach allows you to take advantage of the robust video conferencing features provided by tools like Zoom or Google Meet, while still keeping your documents and content centralized within the SharePoint environment.

The key benefit of this workaround is that it provides a seamless experience for guest users, who can join the video call while also accessing and working on shared files in SharePoint. This helps maintain productivity and collaboration, even when guest users are involved.

Finalizing Documents

When you have finished collaborating on a document, it's important to finalize it. To do this:

  1. Close the open document tab.
  2. In the community's Resource/library, click the "Refresh from SharePoint" option.
  3. From the menu, select "Finalize".

By finalizing the document, you are ensuring that the latest version is saved and marked as the definitive copy. This is an important step to take before the document is published or distributed more widely.

Finalizing the document also creates a static version that cannot be accidentally overwritten by further edits. This helps preserve the integrity of the final content.