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.
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.