Personal files vs issued documents
A person's record can hold two different kinds of documents. They look similar at first, but they do different jobs, and knowing which is which tells you where to put a file and what Markular will do with it.
Issued documents
An issued document is an official document a person has been granted, such as a passport, a seaman's book, or a visa. What sets it apart is that it has an expiry date, so Markular can keep track of when it lapses and warn you before it does. An issued document can also carry its own attachments, for example a scan of the passport page.
Use an issued document when the thing you are recording is a dated credential that matters for compliance or travel, and where a lapse should be caught in good time. Because these carry expiry dates, they feed the same expiry tracking you see for competencies. See Track certificate expiry.
To add one, open the person's Issued Documents tab and select Add document. Choose the document type, enter its details and dates, and optionally attach a scan. Markular shows No expiry date when no expiry has been recorded; use that deliberately rather than as a substitute for an unknown date.
Personal files
A personal file is a general file kept on the person's record, such as a signed contract or a scanned form. It is filed under a file type your organisation has set up, so documents stay grouped and easy to find, but it does not have an expiry date and is not tracked for lapsing.
Use a personal file when you simply need to store paperwork against a person and there is no expiry to watch. See Attach documents to a person.
Which one to use
| Issued document | Personal file | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical example | Passport, seaman's book, visa | Contract, scanned form |
| Has an expiry date | Yes | No |
| Tracked for expiry | Yes | No |
| Filed under a file type | No | Yes |
| Can carry attachments | Yes | The file itself |
In short: reach for an issued document when a date needs watching, and a personal file when you just need the paperwork on record.
Access to the attached files
Every newly uploaded personal file and attachment has its own owner and access list. Associating a file with a person, competency or issued document does not automatically give everyone who can see that record access to the file. See Control who can open a personnel document.