Configuring rules
Prerequisite
- Access to the Configuration > Document > Rule (DC055) menu.
Introduction
Rules for security and electronic distribution were designed to simplify the management of permissions in SoftExpert Document.
Through these configurations, it is possible to standardize document access and distribution, which prevents multiple categories with similar structures from being created, or permissions from being manually defined in each record.
Security rules allow for determining who can view, edit, delete, or approve documents in a centralized manner.
Electronic distribution rules, on the other hand, define the users, departments, or teams responsible for receiving the documents during the electronic distribution process.
Once configured, both rules must be associated with document categories in order to be applied automatically during the creation of documents and throughout their life cycle.
Adding a new security rule
1. Access the Configuration > Document > Rule (DC055) menu.
2. Expand the
toolbar button and click on the Add new security rule option.
3. Enter an ID # and a name for the set of security rules.
4. Click on the
button to enable the other tabs.
5. In the Rules tab, click on the
button to add a new rule to the set. The Rules tab brings together the rules that make up the set. The added rules complement each other, but they do not necessarily depend on one another.
6. Fill in the fields in the following steps of the creation wizard:
Identification
Enter an ID # for the rule in the available field. This ID # will make it easier to find the rule on the list of rules.
Click on Next after finishing this step.
Condition
In this step, the conditions for the security rule to be applied must be configured. To this end, the following sections are available:
Category
Apply rule only to the category:: allows for defining the category to which the rule being added is applied. If this option is not checked, the rule will be applied to any category with which the set is associated.
If this option is checked, in the Category field that will be enabled, select the desired category. In order for the rule to be effectively applied to the selected category, the set of the rule must be associated in the Security > Document section of the category.
Attributes
Click on the New rule button and select the attribute, an operator, and the value that must be entered in the attribute in order to condition the application of the security rule.
- In order for the rule to be applied correctly, the attribute must also be associated with the category in which said rule is applied.
- To use more than one attribute as a condition of the rule, click again on the New rule button and repeat the procedure that has been described.
- The Category and Attributes sections complement each other to compose the application condition for the security rule. For example: the rule will only be applied to the "PO - Purchase Orders" category and when the value filled in the "Sales Representative" attribute is "Commercial".
Click on Next after finishing this step.
Permission
This tab is used to define the security of the documents in the category with which the security rule will be associated.
1. Click on the
toolbar button.
2. In the Access type field, choose how the access group to which the permissions of the security rule will be defined:
- Team: members of a team already created in SoftExpert Document.
- Organizational unit: users from a certain business unit/department of the organization.
- Department/Position: users from a certain department of the organization and who hold a specific position.
- Position: users holding a specific position in the organization.
- User: a specific user.
- All: all users with access to SoftExpert Document.
3. In the Permission profile field, select the permission profile that defines the controls granted in the electronic distribution rule. Check out the restrictions of the permission profile controls below:
| Edit | Allows editing document data. |
| Delete | Allows deleting the document. |
| Revise | Allows creating revisions for the document, through the Document (DC010) menu. To perform this operation successfully, it is also required that the Revision control be checked. |
| Acknowledgment | Allows receiving the publication acknowledgment of the document. For the acknowledgment task to be generated for the user, it is also required that the Electronic copy control be checked. Note that, by checking this control, the "Notification" control will not be available for selection. |
| Distribute copies | Allows distributing the copies of the document. To perform this operation successfully, it is also required that the Printed copy control be checked. |
| View | Allows viewing the data screen and electronic files of the document. |
| Cancel | Allows changing the document status (cancel/reactivate). |
| Archive | Allows archiving the document in the Archive component. To perform this operation successfully, the Physical file control must also be checked. |
| Allows printing the electronic files of the document. | |
| Training | Allows participation in the trainings related to the document, recorded through the SoftExpert Training component. In order for the user to be able to participate in trainings related to the document, it is also required that the Training control be checked. |
| Registering a training | Allows receiving the Training registration task from SoftExpert Training related to the document. For the task to be generated for the user, it is also required that the Training control be checked. |
| Save locally | Allows saving the document's electronic files in your machine. |
| Sign | Allows digitally signing the electronic files of the document. |
| Notification | Allows receiving e-mail notifications at the moment of creating or releasing the revision of the document. In order for the notification to be sent to the user, it is also required that the Electronic copy control be checked. Note that, by checking this control, the Acknowledgment control will not be available for selection. |
| Add comments | Allows inserting text and graphical comments in the electronic files of the document. |
| Evaluate applicability | Allows receiving the Applicability evaluation task referring to the document. |
4. The fields in the Filters section will be enabled to be filled in accordance with the selected access type. Use them to select the desired records.
5. Click on the
button.
6. Click on the Finish button to complete the configuration of the rule. Thus, the wizard screen will close and the rule will be displayed in the Rule section of the rule set data screen.
- The permissions configured in this step will only be applied to the categories that meet the conditions defined in the Condition step. For example: for the PO – Purchase Orders category and the Sales Representative attribute filled in with the Commercial value in the document, the Commercial team will be granted the edit, delete, acknowledgment, cancel, and print permissions.
- For the controls related to other system components to be applied correctly, these components must be part of the solutions purchased by the organization, and the users defined in Access type must have permission to access them.
- For the permissions configured in this step to be effectively applied to the documents, the “Inherit security list from document category” option must be enabled in the Security section.
- The controls that are not checked for a defined access type will be considered denied by the system.
7. In the Security tab, define the users and the security controls of the rule set. Refer to the How does the permission profile work? article to learn how to perform this configuration.

Adding a new electronic distribution rule
1. Access the Configuration > Document > Rule (DC055) menu.
2. Expand the
toolbar button and click on the Add new electronic distribution rule option.
3. Enter an ID # and a name for the set of electronic distribution rules.
4. Click on the
button to enable the Rules tab.
5. In the Rules tab, click on the
button to add a new rule to the set.
6. Fill in the fields in the following steps of the creation wizard:
Identification
Enter an ID # for the rule in the available field. This ID # will make it easier to find the rule on the list of rules.
Click on Next after finishing this step.
Condition
In this step, the conditions for the electronic distribution rule to be applied must be configured. To this end, the following sections are available:
Category
Apply rule only to the category:: allows for defining the category to which the rule being added is applied. If this option is not checked, the rule will be applied to any category with which the set is associated.
If this option is checked, in the Category field that will be enabled, select the desired category. In order for the rule to be effectively applied to the selected category, the set of the rule must be associated in the Security > Document section of the category.
Attributes
Click on the New rule button and select the attribute, an operator, and the value that must be entered in the attribute in order to condition the application of the security rule.
- In order for the rule to be applied correctly, the attribute must also be associated with the category in which said rule is applied.
- To use more than one attribute as a condition of the rule, click again on the New rule button and repeat the procedure that has been described.
- The Category and Attributes sections complement each other to compose the application condition for the security rule. For example: the rule will only be applied to the "PO - Purchase Orders" category and when the value filled in the "Sales Representative" attribute is "Commercial".
Click on Next after finishing this step.
Distribution list
This tab is used to define the security of the documents in the category with which the security rule will be associated.
1. Click on the
toolbar button.
2. In the Access type field, choose how the access group to which the permissions of the electronic distribution rule will be defined:
- Team: members of a team already created in SoftExpert Document.
- Organizational unit: users from a certain business unit/department of the organization.
- Department/Position: users from a certain department of the organization and who hold a specific position.
- Position: users holding a specific position in the organization.
- User: a specific user.
- All: all users with access to SoftExpert Document.
3. In the Controls field, select the controls that will be granted to the access control group:
- Evaluate applicability: allows users to evaluate the document in order to check if it requires acknowledgment and/or training on the part of certain users. The applicability evaluation is useful for cases in which the users who will receive the electronic copies or trainings must be defined by someone who is not the user who configured the category.
- Acknowledgment: requires that the users acknowledge the document and/or its revisions. When this control is checked, the Notification control will be disabled for selection.
- Notification: allows the user to receive e-mail notifications when a document revision is created or released. When this control is checked, the Acknowledgment control will be disabled for selection.
- Create training: allows users to create trainings for documents added with categories that have training control configured.
- Training: allows users to participate in document-based trainings created in SoftExpert Training.
4. The fields in the Filters section will be enabled to be filled in accordance with the selected access type. Use them to select the desired records.
5. Click on the
button.
6. Click on the Finish button to complete the configuration of the rule. Thus, the wizard screen will close and the rule will be displayed in the Rule section of the rule set data screen.
7. In the Security tab, define the users and the security controls of the rule set. Refer to the How does the permission profile work? article to learn how to perform this configuration.

Conclusion
Once configured, the rule sets must be correctly associated with document categories in order to be applied automatically.
Security rules must be linked in the Security > Document section, while electronic distribution rules must be associated in the Distribution > Distribution list section of the category.
This association ensures a standardized application of permissions and facilitates continuous management of documents in the system.