Here is a detailed description of archiving in general and my recommended approach..
Better start throwing out your dusty and unsightly file folders today instead of tomorrow!
Setup
You can find your NarVichiV in Classic Client via Financial Accounting/Setup/NarVichiV.
The setup and operation of the integrated archive system NarVichV works essentially the same in all 3 clients, only the option differs between the different Navision / Business Central versions.
Setup in Classic Client
Access: Financial accounting/Setup/NarVichiV
Setup wizard for the archive under Navision Classic Client up to version 2009R2
Setup in RTC Client
Ctrl+F3 (to open the search box on the top right), typing "Narv", there is only one hit, so just confirm with Enter.
Setup in Web-Client
Open Archive/Create Setup Data. Select the base directory. NarVichiV sets itself up with recommended default settings. You can change all suggestions as you like and also change the directories now as you like! NarVichiV has also created a folder structure during setup, which you can of course move. Please remember that you have to make folder changes in the setup as well as in the file explorer!
Recommendation: Do not change this structure later. Navision remembers where each document is located, so you can change this structure. But later on you will no longer be able to see what is where and why. Better to think about it once at the beginning.
IMPORTANT! Your archive folders must be located on a folder accessible on the network (\\server\share)!
Explanation of columns:
- Code: A code/abbreviation for this archive
- Description: A comprehensible description
- Total documents: Number of documents known to this archive. No input possible.
- Documents archived: Number of documents present in this archive. No input possible.
- Documents missing: Number of documents known to this archive but not yet archived. No input possible.
- Import path: Indication from which directory documents for this archive should be read into Navision dynamics / Atain / Business Central. If your document numbers are unique throughout your Navision (e.g. there is no purchase invoice with a number that also exists as a sales delivery bill), then you can use a single directory here for all document types in all archives. If you have document numbers that overlap (e.g. there are sales quotations with numbers that also exist as articles), then it is better to specify here a separate order per archive or document type for importing documents into the archive. IMPORTANT: This import folder or these import folders must be located on a network drive so that they can be accessed by all workstations and the Navision service itself.
- Brim import beginning & Trim import end: If your scanner stores the files not only with the document number (e.g. LS22-12345.jpg), but e.g. with Scan LS22-12345 17-02-2023.jpg, you can use these two fields to truncate the first 5 characters (Scan with spaces) and the last 11 characters ( 17-02-2023 with spaces), so that Navision / Business Central can recognize the document number again.
- Archive Trail: Indication in which order Navision Dynamics / Attain / Business Central should archive a recognized and imported document. IMPORTANT: This import folder or these import folders must be located on a network drive so that they can be accessed by all workstations and the Navision service itself.
- Subpaths preamp & Number of files per subpath & Archive path current subdirectoryBusiness Central / Navision dynamics / Attain creates a new subfolder in the archive path for each block of 5000 documents (adjustable in the column "Number of files per subpath"). This subfolder is numbered consecutively (0001...0002...0003 etc.) and incremented by one each time x archive documents per subfolder are reached. For optical reasons you can create a text sequence, e.g. SUB.... for SUB00001,SUB00002 etc., in front of the incrementing number block.
This technique ensures that Windows does not stumble when Explorer has to display too many files in a folder. The currently used subfolder can be found in the Archive path current subdirectory . You can also change it here, e.g. manually increment it by one, if you want to close a subfolder. The set number of files is not fixed, e.g. additional individual files can be placed in a folder that is actually already closed, this is not a problem. - Archive file namingHere you set whether the archived file is named with a file name consisting of account number (e.g. customer number) + document number. This is the recommended setting. Alternatively, the archive file can be named with the document number only, or with a consecutive (alpha) numeric number. Each file name based on the document number is automatically appended with a number sequence that can be defined via subfile extension . In this way, e.g. different versions of an offer can be kept apart.
Document scanning
You can use any scan program you want or already use. This can also be the scan client of d3 dVelop or that of Easy Archiv!
I personally recommend Epson Document Capture because it comes free with several Epson Workforce scanners.
From practical experience, I can also recommend Docuflair, because this has already been used successfully by one user.
Basically, it is recommended to use a scan program that can use the document number from the documents directly as file name (e.g. LS23-555333.pdf), then there is no rework (see next point). The two programs already listed handle this in an exemplary manner if set up and prepared correctly.
Finally, you could also use Windows Fax and Scan, which comes free with any current Windows. In this case you still have to name the scanned files correctly, e.g. in Windows File Explorer with F2 on each file. However, I recommend this only for low document volume.
By the way, the file identifier is completely irrelevant as long as your Windows computers can handle and display it. If necessary, you can simply install any viewer, e.g. for Word, Excel, PDF, JPG, JPEG, TIFF... afterwards. Navision or Business Central must not be able to process the file identifier itself! Navision serves here as a pure mediator, the document view remains reserved for the operating system. So you are not bound to any default or viewer logic of Navision, not even in 10 years! If you ever want to manage a new type of document, e.g. Autocad or Mp3 or video files: You only need to install a suitable viewer on your computer and you can work with it. This also applies to Apple/Macintosh or Linux computers for the web version of Navision Dynamics or Business Central!
Indexing scanned documents for the archive
It is only important that the files are in the respective import directory with their correct file name = document name. The rest is done by Navision Dynamics or Business Central! In this way you can archive any document, even without barcode! Just file in the correct folder, set the file name correctly, and wait (or start the import function of Navision dynamics / Attain / Business Central manually). More is not necessary, your Navision or Business Central will fetch all metadata from the correct account/document!
Special case incoming invoices
Today, incoming invoices reach you in many different ways. By mail, by Edifact, by paper...
The way described in the last paragraph always works! So you can simply place any purchase invoice arrived in any way in the correct import folder with the Navision purchase invoice document number as file name.
But for more convenience here, I recommend GetMyInvoicesa centralized A/P document identifier that can greatly streamline their entire A/P invoice workflow.
Preparation of COLD documents for the archive
COLD (Computer on Laserdisc) is an ancient term from the early days of electronic archiving and refers to documents that are generated directly by the (usually) ERP and transferred to the archive without any further modification / intervention. Your outgoing invoices and outgoing delivery bills are typical COLD documents, as long as they do not have to be scanned first, e.g. because of a signature.
If you already have my mail solution, your Navision already has everything for this on boardwe just have to arrange and set it up.
Background settlement
If you still print your receipts on forms, then... well, admittedly they are a bit out of date. The "don't do it anymore." Keeping the forms, the handling of duplex printing, but above all the transfer to the 21st century with document dispatch by email simply speaks against it.
As a complicated solution, the forms from the last millennium can still be preserved with a background settlement, also e.g. for the subject of mail dispatch. With background clearing, a form, e.g. your pre-printed forms on company paper, is electronically processed with the user data of your document, i.e. the actual printing of the delivery bill or invoice. The result is a single new electronic document that looks "just like printed" on the screen. At the same time, this immediately makes the documents much larger, so they need more storage space when mail, archive, recipient.
Retrieve / research documents from the archive
Just use Navigate! Or under Business Central from version 2022 "Search".
To do this, go to your relevant document, e.g. the posted credit note or invoice, call Navigate. Navision Dynamics / Business Central calls the adapted Navigate function, and can now also find and display the metadata (the document entry) for your matching archived documents.
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