Overview
Merge Documents are standardized documents that can be personalized using Equus Platform data from a Merge Data Source. Using merge documents allows for a more efficient streamlined communication with employees and other parties. Merge documents are widely used for documents such as:
Letters of Assignments
Agreement Forms
Policy Changes
Extension Letters
On Assignment Changes
Offer Statements
Compensation Statements
Invoices
...and can be used in the Equus Platform by attaching merge documents to:
Email Templates - see Attaching Documents section
Assignment Packages - see Merge Documents section
Merge Documents can be configured at a Company and System levels. To access to the Merge Documents Screen, select either "System Merge Document Maintenance" or "Company Merge Document Maintenance" when using the Configuration Search.
There are 3 types of Merge documents that can be configured from the Merge Document screen:
Billing Invoice - documents related to the Billing Module
E-Signature Document - documents that will be sent for electronic signature
Communication Merge Document - documents for all other purposes
The document formats that are supported and can be uploaded via the Merge Document screen are: RTF, MS Word (.DOC and .DOCX), MS Excel (.XLS and .XLSX) and PDF in editable format. The means of providing placeholders for merged data differ for each document type. Placeholders for merge data are replaced with data from from the Merge Data Source which can either be a Data Source (System Standard Stored Procedure) or a User Report.
Click on the format link on instructions on how to create a merge document:
When configuring the Merge Document, it is possible to choose which file format the Merge Document will create after the data is merged. These are:
MS Word Document
MS Excel Merge Document (.xls)
MS Excel Merge Document (.xslx)
PDF Document
Protected MS Word Document
Password Encrypted MS Excel Merge Document (.xls)
Password Encrypted MS Excel Merge Document (.xslx)
Password Encrypted PDF Document
Note, not all types of Merge Documents can generate every file format as an output.
Things to note
When uploading a new document, the document will be subjected to a set of validations. There is a separate set of validations for e-signature merge documents.
PDF Merge Documents can only be backed by a User Report, not a Data Source.
PDF Merge documents - if a new document is uploaded over an existing PDF Merge Document, the system will retain any mappings that have been made as long as the PDF control names match. All mappings for fields with unmatched controls will be erased immediately upon upload, even if the
button hasn't been clicked yet
Changing the User Report backing a PDF Merge Document will erase all designated input mapping on the PDF form immediately upon selection of a new User Report, even if you haven't clicked the
button yet. Also, changing the name of a merge field in the backing User Report will erase the corresponding PDF control mapping and you will have to map the newly-named merge field to the desired PDF control again.
Note, if the Merge Document Password Source System Preferences is enabled, depending on its configuration, the output document will be password protected. Click here for more information.