Upload your documents
Use the Document Control tab to upload PDF files and publish them for your crew and other teams to use in their libraries. From this tab, you can control which divisions and assets have access to each document, manage version numbers and responsible parties, and monitor which installations or individuals have received it. Any documents you upload will appear on the Document Library tabs in both the Compliance and Onboard modules. This article will show you how to upload a document to your teams' libraries.
Configure the document header
When you upload a document, you start at the top, with the header information. This is where you configure the settings for your document, including which divisions and assets will use it, whether it's for use on shore or on your assets, what version it is, and whether the document requires acknowledgment.
Name
Start by giving your document a name. This is the name your crew or other teams will see when they view the document in the library.
Notes and Attachments
Use the Notes and Attachments icons to add notes about the document or to attach any additional files. Any notes or attachments you add to this document will be available to anyone viewing it in their library.
Upload PDF
Click this field to select the PDF file that you want to upload.
Division
Use the Division list to control which divisions see this document. If you don't select a division, it will be assigned to all your divisions. Remember:
- You can't assign a document to any divisions you don't have access to.
- Users can't view any documents assigned to a division they don't have access to. If they're logged into an asset installation, they can't see any documents the asset doesn't have access to.
Assets
You must select which assets will see this document. If you don't select any specific assets, they will all see it.
Version
Assign a version number to each document you upload to the library. When you update a document, you will assign it a new version number. The previous version of the document will then be archived automatically and unavailable for anyone to use.
Published Date
The published date is when the document will be available. If you select today's date, or a date in the past, the document will be available once you click Publish. If you select a date in the future, the document will be available on that date.
Created By
Select your name from the list, as the creator of the document.
Document Categories
Document categories are similar to tags, and are useful for filtering and reporting. You can add them to the document by clicking the Document Categories field and either selecting an existing one or adding a new one.
Responsible Parties
Use the Responsible Parties list to select who will receive email notifications when an asset installation first receives a new document or receives an updated version of an existing document. There are no notifications when someone acknowledges a document.
Note To receive email notifications for Helm CONNECT, you must be an active employee and have a valid email address in the system. For any notifications that contain a link to more information, you must also be able to log in to Helm CONNECT.
Acknowledgment
You can use the Acknowledge field to configure whether or not a published document requires acknowledgment and if it needs to be acknowledged at the asset level or by individuals.
- If you select By individual in the Acknowledge list, then any user in the selected division (and asset, if selected) who can log in with an email and password will see a notification icon in either Onboard > Documents > Library or Compliance > Documents > Library that there is a document that they have to acknowledge.
- If you select By asset in the Acknowledge list, then the notification icon will appear only in Onboard > Documents > Library for the selected assets.
Admin users on shore will also be able to see in Compliance > Documents > Document Control which individuals or assets have acknowledged the published document.
NOTE For an individual to be able to acknowledge documents, their user profile must be configured so that they are an active employee who can log in to Helm CONNECT. They must also have permission to access either Onboard > Documents > Library or Compliance > Documents > Library.
For more information about this feature, see the Allow individuals to acknowledge documents support article.
Hide Watermark
By default, all documents uploaded and printed from Helm CONNECT display an "Uncontrolled Document" watermark. The Hide Watermark check box allows you to hide the watermark on new or existing documents.
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Modifying the Hide Watermark setting on an existing document that has already been acknowledged by an asset will require the document to be re-acknowledged when you publish the change.
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Hide Watermark columns on the Library, Document Control, and History tabs in the Compliance module allow you to see quickly whether or not each document has had the watermark hidden.
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All users with access to the Document Control tab will see the Hide Watermark check box. However, only users with the Hide Document Watermark permission in their roles can select or clear the check box.
Upload the document
You must upload the document as a PDF (Portable Document Format) file. You can save an MS Office document (Word or Excel) as a PDF by using the Print function. To upload the document, do one of the following:
- To upload a new PDF document, you can either click the Upload PDF field in the header, or click the Upload PDF button in the Preview area.
- To upload a new version of an existing document, click the Upload PDF field in the header.
Notes If you’re using the Acknowledgment feature, keep the following things in mind:
- If you replace an existing document with a new PDF, your crew will see the visual cue for a new document and the Acknowledge button.
- If you update any fields in the document header (name, version number, etc.) but don’t upload a new PDF, your crew won’t see the visual cue for a new document or the Acknowledge button.
Watch the video
Watch this video to see how to upload a document in Helm CONNECT: