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Document Management Fundamentals

Estimated Time: 30 minutes Audience: All Employees, HR, Managers Prerequisite: Basic Odoo navigation

Course Overview

Lesson Topic Time
1 Understanding the DMS 10 min
2 Finding and Uploading Documents 10 min
3 Organizing with Tags and Directories 10 min

After completing these lessons, you'll be able to navigate the Document Management System, upload files, and find documents quickly.

Lesson 1: Understanding the DMS (10 min)

Learning Objectives

  • Understand what the DMS is and why Scott Recycling uses it
  • Navigate the Documents menu
  • Identify the difference between storages, directories, and files

What Is the DMS?

The Document Management System (DMS) is a centralized file library inside Odoo. Instead of emailing files around or saving them in scattered folders, all company documents live in one place with permission controls and search.

Key Concepts

Concept What It Is Example
Storage The backend where files are saved "Company Documents"
Directory A folder in the hierarchy "HR Documents / Policies"
File An individual document "Employee_Handbook_2026.pdf"
Access Group A permission set controlling who can see what "All Employees — Read Only"
Tag A color-coded label for organization "Current", "2026", "Confidential"

Open Documents from the main Odoo menu:

  • Files — Browse all documents you have access to
  • Directories — View the folder structure
  • Configuration — Manage storages, access groups, tags (managers only)

Lesson 2: Finding and Uploading Documents (10 min)

Learning Objectives

  • Search for documents using the search bar and filters
  • Upload a new document to the correct directory
  • Download and lock files

Finding Documents

  1. Go to Documents > Files
  2. Use the search bar to type a filename
  3. Use the left sidebar to navigate by directory or category
  4. Use filters: "My Files" shows files you created, "Archived Files" shows soft-deleted files
  5. Use Group By to organize by directory, category, or storage

Uploading a Document

  1. Go to Documents > Files
  2. Click New
  3. Select the target Directory (the folder where it belongs)
  4. Click the Content field and select your file
  5. Add Tags for easy searching (recommended)
  6. Click Save

File Size Limit

The maximum upload size is 25 MB. If you need to upload a larger file, contact IT.

Downloading a File

Click the Download option from the file's kanban card dropdown, or open the file and click the download icon on the content field.

Locking a File

If you're editing a document (e.g., downloading a Word file to update it):

  1. Open the file record
  2. Click Lock — this prevents others from uploading a new version while you work
  3. When you're done, upload the updated file and click Unlock

Lesson 3: Organizing with Tags and Directories (10 min)

Learning Objectives

  • Use tags to categorize documents
  • Navigate the directory hierarchy
  • Star frequently used directories

Using Tags

Tags are color-coded labels you attach to files and directories. Use them consistently:

Tag Category Example Tags
Status Current, Draft, Archived, Superseded
Year 2024, 2025, 2026
Department HR, Operations, Sales, Admin
Confidentiality Public, Internal, Confidential

To add a tag, open a file and select tags from the Tags field.

The directory tree appears in the search panel (left sidebar) on the Files view. Click any directory to filter to its contents. Subdirectories appear nested under their parents.

Starring Directories

Click the star icon on any directory to add it to your favorites. Then use the Starred Directories filter to jump straight to your most-used folders.

Star Your Department's Folder

Star the directory for your department so you can access it in one click instead of navigating the full tree every time.

What's Next?

  • Read the full Document Management Guide for detailed reference
  • Ask your manager which directories you should have access to
  • Start uploading documents to the appropriate directories

Quick Reference

Common Tasks

Task Steps
Find a document Documents > Files > Search bar or sidebar
Upload a file Documents > Files > New > Select directory > Upload
Download a file Open file > Download icon
Lock for editing Open file > Lock button
Star a directory Documents > Directories > Click star icon