Mass Doc Generation

This article discusses what Mass Doc Generation is and how and when to use it. Mass Doc Generation allows you to simultaneously generate the same document across multiple projects. Mass Doc Generation works well for actions like generating letters of representation for new clients.

What is a Mass Doc Generation?

Mass Document Generation allows you to essentially “press” a Doc Generation button in all projects in a report, generating a .docx or .pdf document in the Docs Section of each of the projects in the report. Once a Mass Doc Generation is completed, you will also be able to download a document combining all the generated documents in one file.  Mass Doc Generation is used for project types that already have a Doc Generation button and template set up.

Mass Doc Generation is similar to Filevine Fusion, which allows you to generate complex documents from multiple projects while combining multiple reports. However, Mass Doc Generation is a good fit if you are looking to generate a simple document for each project that can already be created with a Doc Generation button. If you already have the template and Doc Generation button in place, using a Mass Doc Generation will be the easiest way to create a document that spans multiple projects.

Creating a Mass Doc Generation

If you already have a Doc Generation button in place, creating a Mass Doc Generation is easy. A Mass Doc Generation can be created by following the steps below:

Step-by-Step 

1. Run a report. Run and save either a List of Project report or a List of Collection Items report, depending on the placement of your button. Read the section on reporting below for more information on what to include in your report. Make a note of the name of this report.
2. Navigate to Mass Doc Generation. Click the hamburger menu in the top lefthand corner and select “Advanced” from the dropdown menu. In the menu on the lefthand side, select “Mass Doc Generation.”
   
   
3. Select project type and report. Choose your Org, if applicable, and then choose the project type by clicking the “Choose a Project Type” dropdown and selecting the desired project type. Next, choose the report by clicking on the “Choose a Report for Criteria” dropdown menu. Select the report you ran in step one. Only reports eligible for Mass Doc Gen will appear, so if none are listed, check to make sure the report is either a project report or (if the DocGen button is in a collection) a collection report.
   
   
4. Find the correct Doc Generation button. From the “Choose a project section” dropdown, select the section of this project type that houses the button you wish to press. The “Choose a Doc Gen Field” dropdown will appear.” Click this dropdown and select the Doc Generation button you wish to press. 
5. Queue Mass Doc Generation. When you have chosen the correct button, select the blue “Queue Mass Doc Generation” button at the bottom right. This will take you to the “Job Status” tab.
6. Filter, view, and download. After your Mass Doc Generation is queued, it will appear in the “Job Status” tab. Here, you can filter Mass Doc Generation jobs by status and download or preview the .docx or .pdf that combines all the generated documents. Read the section below to learn more about this.

Job Status Tab

Once your Mass Doc Generation is queued, it will show under the “Job Status” tab. When the job is completed, you can download the .docx or .pdf that combines all generated documents by clicking on the down arrow to the right of the document name and preview the document by clicking on it. 

Queued jobs will appear with empty circles next to them, completed jobs will feature a checkmark, and in-progress jobs will show a play icon. The jobs in this list can be filtered by clicking on their corresponding icons under “Mass Doc Generation Status.” The list can be refreshed by clicking on the “refresh” icon. 

Running Reports

When you run a report for a Mass Doc Generation, you are choosing which projects to include. If you are generating documents by pressing the button in a static section, you should run a List of Projects report. If you are generating documents by pressing the button in a collections section, you should run a List of [Collection Items] report. In either of these report types, you should limit by the project type, if applicable.

Once you’ve set up the type of report, you can use other criteria to limit the project in which the Doc Generation button will be pressed. For example, you might limit it to projects in a specific phase, or projects created in the last week. These criteria will give you a list of just the projects you would like to generate the documents for. Once you’ve determined and chosen these criteria, run and save the report and use it for the Mass Doc Generation.