General View of CIFKM

(1) Purchase user licenses

(2)Purchase assistance and/or training

(3)Customization work on the application

Index of the general view of CIFKM

– Notices

– Notes

– Notifications

– The user notices window

– The alert pop-up window

– User roles

– Group roles

– Template roles

– Smart Box roles

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CIF_KM Administration Guide…
CIF_KM User Guide…

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1.- Introduction

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CIFKM is a configurable horizontal Enterprise Content Management (ECM) software based on the users being able to create “Data Smart Boxes” for their use. They are small applications of different types according to their purpose that incorporate multiple functionalities and automatic behaviors already preset in templates.

In CIFKM there are only a few concepts to be handled, which are the following:

ITEMS

“Smart Boxes“. Yesteryear the documentation was saved in filing boxes. Nowadays in CIFKM the files and the information related to each matter is incorporated in a “Smart Box”. These are intelligent containers (each one is a small application) and in them are placed the attributes, metadata, notes, links, automatic notifications, documentation,… that is, all that refers to the same matter, and very importantly in each one of them is specified who has access permissions and with what faculties (“Smart Box roles”).

“Groups of users“. In a flat organization, that is, without structure or levels, CIFKM may be administrated so that all the users have access to all the “Smart Boxes” with all the faculties (everything is accessible and transparent for everyone). In this case, only one comprehensive general group of all the users will be used.

However, companies over a certain size are organizations of persons, with areas of activity, structure and levels (positions in the organizational chart).

In this case, the users are organized into “groups of users”, which may be nested in each other. Thus one represents the organic structure of the company. Thus, in each “Smart Box” are inserted only the groups whose members may access it and they are assigned “Smart Box roles”.

The possibility of nesting some groups in others means that there may be some groups that represent positions in the organizational chart that will be nested in the groups of areas, committees,… over which they have some responsability or in which they participate.

Thus, in any reorganization, one will only have to susbstitute users in the affected positions in the organizational chart, represented by “groups of users” of a single member, that keep their roles and faculties.

In each group of users, “group roles” are assigned to users (members or not of it) with different management or administration faculties over it.

(See…… Representation of the organizational chart of the company by means of the inclusion of some groups of users in others)

“Smart Box templates“. To facilitate the creation of “Smart Boxes” with only one click by the users, their features are predefined in “Smart Box templates”.

The users must incorporate the contents and assign values to the attributes and links that must be used as metadata.

The templates may be very different from each other depending on the purpose of the “Smart Boxes” that are created with them, but many may also be identical, being differentiated only by the groups of users (for example, different areas of the company) that are going to have access to their “Smart Boxes”.

Each template is made available only to the “groups of users” that must use it. For this, in each template are inserted the groups whose members may access it, and are determined the faculties (“template roles”) of each one of them over it.

“Roles“. In the previous sections we have mentioned the different types of “roles”, that group together sets of faculties that may have been configured. There are 4 types of roles that respond to the typology of faculties that they comprise. These are: “user roles“, “Smart Box roles“, “group roles“, and “template roles“.

In the standard version the “Smart Boxes” and “search” templates may be adapted to the needs of the company. They are mere configurations.

Also, the structure of the “groups of users” with their nestings (one group inside another) to emulate the organizational chart of the company, the creation or modification of the “role” and “attribute” configurations are low cost configurations.

Thus, one may start to utilize CIFKM to meet a specific need and later extend its use progressively as one finds new possibilities. For this, a complete initial specification of all the needs is not necessary.

The “Smart Box” templates are also designed to incorporate “scripting code”, so that “Smart Boxes” created with them may have automatic behaviours. Thus, CIFKM may be customized and adapted to needs of specific companies. For this, one requires at the outset a more complete specification of the needs, since later it has more rigidity when it comes to posterior changes and its cost of implementation is higher. In summary, CIFKM may be customized to the desired degree.

(See…… PRICES OF CIFKM’S LICENCES)

(See…… How to organize the standard version of CIFKM in a company?)

2.- Types of users

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There are 3 types of users:

Internal users are those who have been registered and assigned an internal user license. These users will have access to the application from their workstations by means of a client program with all the functionalities, and also with a Web-browser to search, view and download files.

The client program for the internal users´workstations is downloaded with a Web-browser in “Download CIFKM’s client program“of the Web page of the application installed in the server and is installed in each workstation that may be used by an internal user. The client program allows one to access the application with all the functionalities.

With the registration of the application in CIF that is carried out at the end of the installation process, 4 users are created to whom 4 free initial internal user licenses have been assigned.

The 4 initial users are called: Administrator (has the personal role of system administrator), user 1, user 2, and user 3. The administrator, upon accessing the window of these four initial users in “Administration of Users” of the floating icon menu of the application, may modify their names, data and access keys, so that they correspond to real users.

Later, when required, one may purchase more internal user licenses accessing the store (http://store.cif.es) from the floating icon menu of the application, where, if one accesses with the registered application, one will enter directly with the account with which it was registered. This has the advantage that the internal user licenses purchased will remain linked to the application account. One may also access the store directly and enter the name and password of the registration account of the application.

The internal user licenses purchased with the account of the application will be added automatically to it, increasing the number one had before, with the new ones being available in the application to be assigned to new internal users that may have been or will be registered in it.

External users, that may access only from the web page of the application with their navigator, and only to search for CIFKM elements, view and download their files. These are the users registered in the application to whom an external user license (only Web) has been assigned. These licenses are offered free and in unlimited number. In some customization cases one allows external users, (for example, clients) to also upload files with their navigator to the repositories (smartbox) in which they have been included.

The Administrator manages the external users the same way that he manages the internal ones, that is, they may be a part of the user groups, and this way one may make the relevant private information available to each one of them.

The following is an example of the use of the external user figure. Suppose the company is a law firm, consulting firm, audit, etc. that administrates the documentation of clients (tax returns, reports, etc.) and that, with a view to cultivating the loyalty of its clients would like to make a repository available to each one of them with their information, so that need not worry about it, since they may always download it from this repository.

The operational procedure is as follows:

  1. One creates a contact Smart Box for each client (CIFKM “contact” Smart Box).
  2. One converts the client in external user, assigning him a password that he may change.
  3. When the client has been converted to external user a “group of users” will also have been created for this user. In this group one may also include the internal users that will have to manage the corresponding client account with the “group role” all the permissions, to modify the group (include or exclude users). Also if the client (external user) were a company one could create the company contacts as external users and include them all in the “group of users” of the company.
  4. One creates a repository with the Smart Box template for “client repository” with the name of the client (company or individual) in which the “group of users” of the client will be included in the “permissions” section, mentioned in the previous paragraph, with faculties to modify. In this smartbox will be uploaded the reports and documentation of the client and it will be his documentation repository.
  5. The “repository” Smart Box” is linked to the contact Smart Box of each client.
  6. A “clients” area is created in the Web page of the company with direct entry to the repository thus created (without going through intermediate pages with search engines), so that each client may be identified from it with his name and password.

(See…. Create new external users and their private repository directly from a contact tab
(See…. One can create private repositories for clients for free)

Anonymous users (public access). The company may also have one or various smartbox for public access which any person who may not be registered and may therefore not have an external user license, may access with a navigator from the Web page of the application, with the name and password blank, to consult and download files that, depending, may be placed for the public in general. In the smartbox, the files may be structured in folders.

3.- Registration of new users

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Registering a new user means assigning him a license from among those available, either internal or external. It is a permission (user role) that in the standard version is included in the administrator role.

When a user is discharged from the application, his license becomes available for any other user. The 4 first internal user licenses are free and come with the application downloaded from www.cifkm.com; the next ones have to be purchased at the CIF on-line store with the registration account installed, and they will be added to be assigned to internal users. The external user licenses are free and unlimited in number.

The registration of new users is carried out in the “Administration of licenses” window of the application where one is informed of the number of licenses available and of the number that have been assigned both to internal and external users.

The new users may be registered one at a time, or in a group by means of an Excel sheet with the format that is downloaded from the window of license administration, or either importing the user data from a domain.

(See screenshots…… Add new users, buy and assign licences)

When an internal user is registered he is assigned:

  • One or several user roles that will grant the permissions for the activity that he will carry out in the company.
  • The groups of users of which he will initially be a member and in which he will have permissions even though he may not be a member. His membership in groups, or having “roles” in them without being a member, will determine which “Smart Box” the user will have access to and with what faculties, and which “Smart Box” and search templates will be available to him.
  • The menu that will be available to him and that will be displayed in the CIFKM floating icon. If he is not assigned any specific menu, the one that is marked by default will appear.
  • The type of CIFKM desktop where he will have the templates and functions menu assigned to the desktop.
  • The credentials to enter CIFKM that the user may later modify in his window of personal data.

Once created, each user will be assigned an initial credential (name and password) to enter CIFKM, that he may later modify from his personal user window, as well as add as an access credential, any digital certificate to accredit himself with its private key, which only he possesses (this last option is not activated in the self-installing version).

For external users, who may access the application from a “browser” or navigator, and who may only consult the CIFKM elements and download their content (documentation), the registration process is carried out from the same site and is similar to that of the internal users. Each external user may have assigned specific user groups (or a unipersonal one) so that one may discriminate both with respect to the documentation and the types of predefined searches that will be available to each user or group of users. The company may also have a generic public space assigned to anonymous users (not registered) who will not have to enter any access key and who may consult the CIFKM elements that are made available to them.

Thus, any company, at no license cost, using the 4 free internal user licenses to administrate and create smartbox and upload files to them, may offer the specific documentation to its sales representatives, its clients and providers, the company staff, and if necessary the general public, by only downloading and installing the standard self-installing version of CIFKM.

(See screenshot…. Create a New “External User” with a “Repository” Smart Box from a “Contact”, both linked to this)

Related contents of the help

() Registration of new users

() User credentials

4.- User access to CIFKM

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  • The users, either internal or external, access the CIFKM application identifying themselves with their credentials, except in the public space, where one doesn´t need identification.
  • Each time the internal user accesses CIFKM from a new workstation (PC), he must access the Web site of the server where the application is installed, by means of a “browser” or navigator indicating the URL address. If he is an internal user, he will use the button “Download the CIFKM client application” that installs the client program in this new workstation. Once installed, the user may enter the application using his credential. Later, each time he accesses the application, it will be verified whether the version of the client program he has installed is the latest and, otherwise, it will be updated automatically without any user intervention. With the client program all the functionalities of the application are available to the internal user.

Related contents of the help

() Entering CIFKM

5.- The groups of users

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A user may be a member of as many groups of users as necessary and these may in turn be included in other groups of users (nested) also as members.

In each group of users there are two tab (members of the group and non-members, respectively) where are included the users and other groups of users that must have some “group role” over it. In these two tabs are assigned the group roles that correspond to each of those included. “Roles” are assigned to non-members so that these users may also have faculties related to the “group” as wel as to members. However, the if this group is nested in another “group”, these “non-member” users are not integrated into the latter, since they are not members of the former.

(See in this order… “CIFKM Floating Icon Menu“……”List of Existing “User groups“……”Assign “Group roles” to group members“)

When each user is registered he will be automatically assigned a personal group of which he is the only member and that is eliminated along with the user.

With the inclusion of some groups in others (nestings) one manages to represent the company, both organically and functionally, for example groups of areas, departments, commissions or interdepartmental work groups, positions in the organizational chart or posts in the company (in this case the group may have a single member that will be the only person that at each moment occupies the position). (See figure….. CIFKM Diagram in the company)

Thus, when including, excluding, or modifying a user within a base “group” (for example the one that represents the work post or a position in the organizational chart) the modification is applied automatically in the remaining groups where directly or indirectly this base “group” he is included.

In the groups of users may be included users who, without being members, have certain permissions (group roles) over the group. For example, a user, without being a member, may be enabled to include the group in a SMART BOX that he creates with a template that is available to him (for example, to administrate an order) so that once this SMART BOX has been created its own creator may not have access to it, but rather other persons (the members of the group of users) to whom the “group role” “Read/use other elements” who will administrate it and carry out posterior activities over the SMART BOX.

The system of groups included in other groups allows for the following: when one modifies the position of a user in the company, excluding him from the group that represents an organic position and including, depending, his successor, all the other groups of which that base group was a member will be affected by this change. Thus, the change or substitution may be made by a CIFKM administrator who has the permission to administrate the position groups without being a member of them.

When a group of users is created, in it may be checked the box private group in which case it may not be viewed by anyone who is not a member of it nor by the CIFKM administrators. For this reason, one has to bear in mind that only those users who have the group creation faculty marked in their user role may create new groups either ordinary or private type; this faculty may be assigned only to certain CIFKM users.

In a private group it is necessary for at least one of its members to have administration permissions.

Related contents of the help

() Groups of users

6.- CIFKM Smart Boxes

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In CIFKM all the information is distributed and organized in SMART BOXES. Each one may be thought of as a container of information and files structured in folders, with multiple functionalities, since it is really a small application, classified and qualified with attributes, links, permissions, programmed notifications, notices, etc. that is available to one or several persons belonging to the “groups of users” included in it and who have been assigned one or several “Smart Box roles“.

The files are placed in the files section of the SMART BOXES and are susceptible to being copied and pasted/ drag and dropped. They may also be locked permanently or temporarily for changes, and they may be encypted; the users who are authorized to decrypt them will be determined in each of them.

The faculty of creating new SMART BOXES is a” user role” permission that in the standard configuration of roles is included in the “ordinary user role”; all the users will have been assigned this role and may create new SMART BOXES in CIFKM. Separating this permission in a different user role is a decision of the company.

Once the SMART BOX has been created, it is managed by the groups of users (personal or collective) included in it, among which may or not be the creator of the Smart Box if he has not been included in it. Each group of users may act over a specific Smart Box according to the “Smart Box roles” that he has been assigned in it.

In the “permissions” section of each SMART BOX are included one or various groups of users and for each one is marked the SMART BOX role that it has been assigned, which will determine what faculties the members of the corresponding group will have over the SMART BOX

…. (see groups included in a “Smart Box” with assignment of “Smart Box roles”)

In each group of users only the following will be able to act over the Smart Box: users or groups of users (members or not of the group) who have been assigned the “group role” called “read/use other elements”. In the standard version, this role comprises the necessary permissions of the group of users to act over any other element (Smart Box, Smart Box or search template, attribute) in which the group is included with the appropriate element permissions (roles).

Each SMART BOX is created with a SMART BOX template. In each SMART BOX template is defined the configuration of the SMART BOX created with it, the spaces for information, the components of which it is made up, the sections, the attributes, the notifications that have to be sent automatically, the predetermined groups of users that are included in it rigid fashion, or openly so that they may be modified later, files with instructions and specific spaces to upload files, and if necessary scripting code to define automatic behaviours that need to occur before certain events, etc.

A common use of scripting code in a SMART BOX is automating the following depending on the value of an attribute selected by the creator of the smartbox: (1) what automatic notifications and to who they need to be sent and (2) what groups need to be included in the SMART BOX and with what “smartbox roles”; these are the people who can or must manage the matter to which the SMART BOX makes reference.

A SMART BOX may be configured, either to perform the functions of a simple container of information for its later retrieval, but normally it incorporates many other functionalities. It may have attributes, links to other SMART BOX, with values or references to data of other applications, it may send notifications and notices automatically or manually, it may define the execution states of a matter, it may determine the permissions of whoever must access it and with what faculties,it may register the procedures carried out by the users and the time spent on each of them, it may register the services to be invoiced, it may trigger the processes of a workflow, it may register the contact data and their addresses in a Google map, etc. All these are the components that are in the pallette of components available to the CIFKM administrator to configure the SMART BOX templates.

Each template is made available to one or several groups of users by including these in it. This way, the user members of the group or groups authorized over the template (that may be personal groups of a single user) will be able to use it to create SMART BOXES of the type corresponding to the template.

(See screenshots… Floating icon menu and wizard for new “Smart Boxes“)

The standard intial version of CIFKM downloaded from www.cifkm.com has five types of preconfigured Smart Box templates, so that the internal users may create with them the corresponding Smart Boxes, and also search templates and a general search template not aimed for any specific type of Smart Boxes. The search templates will also appear for their use in the Web page of the application as long as the corresponding box is marked in their form.

These five initial configurations of types of SMART BOXES are the following:

(See in this order.. “CIFKM Floating Icon Menu“……”List of Configured “Smart Box templates” …… File section of a “Smart Boxes” and menu of the right-mouse button …… Smart Box permissions section and “user groups” included in it with “Smart Box roles” assigned)

The files placed in the SMART BOX may be sent and brought in from the cloud to the user´s Dropbox account.

Related contents of the help:

() What are SMART BOXES?

() Types of SMART BOXES in the version downloaded from the Web

() Create new SMART BOXES

() My pending files

() Files section

() Links section

() Permissions section

() Notes section

() Notification section

() Verifications section

() Times and expenses section

() Attributes section of a Smart Box

() Recent Smart Boxes

() Copy and paste / Drag and drop

() Double-click and context menu of the right mouse button

() Lock files for changes (check-in/ check-out)

7.- Download a file from a “Smart Box”, modify it and save. It will be automatically uploaded in the same site

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This operation is a convenient form of modifying a file and saving it again in the same CIFKM location. It will automatically be sent again to the same place in CIFKM replacing the old file. The old file will be preserved as an older version of it, that may be recovered using the history (or the menu option) button.

However, if one is going to make many changes in the document, for example, if one is going to remake a new version, and during this work, one is going to save many times, we then recommend downloading it and making the changes outside CIFKM. Once completed, it may be drag and dropped in its CIFKM site replacing the old version.

8.- Synchronization of Data Smart Boxes, files and folders between workstations and CIFKM

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The advantages of synchronizing files and folders are, on the one hand, the user can use his desktop applications and, furthermore, the company manages its information in CIFKM.

CIFKM Sync is a parallel application that can be either separately or jointly downloaded, updated, and installed with client program of CIFKM at any workstation.

Both applications use the same ID and password for each user and can be opened jointly or independently. User can configure it. Also from any of them a user can open the other.

The user can choose for synchronization either whole Smart Boxes or some of their files and folders (partial sync). Thus, each user will have a set of synchronized elements (sync set) which he can visualize logging into CIFKM Sync with his ID and Password at any local workstation connected to Internet.

Each user may only synchronize Smart Boxes he may access at CIFKM. This means e.g. if a user, regarding to a specific Smart Box, has only permission to read, any change done by him on a file in his local CIFKM sync folder will not be synchronized upwards at CIFKM. This should be avoided because any subsequent change on the same file will be synchronized downwards with his local CIFKM Sync folder.

The first time that a user log in CIFKM Sync installed in a local computer, he will be requested to choose a local folder (CIFKM Sync Folder) where to place the his “sync set” (synchronized Smart Boxes -this are shown first-level as briefcases in CIFKM Sync Folder- as well as their sync files and folders).

In a same desktop can be held more than one CIFKM Sync Folder, each one related to a different user. Each Sync Folder will synchronize the respective user’s “sync set”. Likewise, any user can have simultaneously his “CIFKM Sync Folder” in many computers.

Sinchronization of user’s “sync set” will begin at any time the user log in CIFKM Sync being connected to Internet, though CIFKM’s client program may be closed.

It’s recommended users to have at desktops a specific folder devoted to the CIFKM Sync (CIFKM Sync Folder) and it to be shown at desktop “favorites”.

Some sync functionalities

Synchronization of CIFKM elements can be done in any of the following ways:

  • From CIFKM client program using the Sync button in the Smart Box. This triggers the Smart Box whole sync.

  • From CIFKM client program selecting specific files and folders of a Smart Box using the mouse right click menu. Thus, these specific items will be synchronized.

  • From CIFKM Sync application using the button “Add Smart Box” or “Create new Smart Box This will trigger the Smart Box whole sync.

At any time a user can unsynchronize an item previously synchronized either from CIFKM client program or from CIFKM Sync Folder.

Any file or folder, either added, modified, removed, or eliminated from “CIFKM Sync Folder” by a user with permission over it, will be synchronized in CIFKM and vice versa.

Nevertheless, this rule doesn’t apply neither to the removal nor elimination of a whole Smart Box (briefcase icon) or the “CIFKM Sync Folder”. These actions done from “CIFKM Sync” by a user will mean simply unsynchronize these items. The reason why is that deleted files can always be restored at the corresponding Smart Box from the button “Deleted Files” in each Smart Box Form. Thus, Smart Boxes can only be deleted through CIFKM client program.

(See User Sync Guide… User Sync Guide”)
(See diagram… Synchrony managed from the “Task Bar Icon”)
(See diagram… Synchrony managed from a “Data Smart Box”)

8.- Copy and send hyperlinks to SMART BOX files and folders (sharing contents)

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Email is the basic tool for collaboration, but it has its limitations as far as the quantity and size of the information that may be sent in a single email.

Thus for example, to send a dossier with numerous folders and files, with possible notes, links, etc. email is little suited due to the size, number of files, and the absence of folder structure. It is a structureless box for whoever receives it.

This limitation disappears if one sends hyperlinks to “Data Smart Box” contents, keeping the structure of folders and files.

CIFKM has two functionalities for creating links or hyperlinks either to “Data Smart Boxes” or to their contents (files and folders). These are: (1) Copy to clipboard and (2) Share.

“Copy” can be applied indistinctly to a “Smart Boxes” or to its files. In both cases a link is copied to the clipboard that can be pasted to another “Smart Box” to link one to the other, or to insert the copied files into the files section of the “smart Box”. The link can also be pasted in a document or email, whose recepient must be a user who has access to the “Smart Box”.

“Share” is a function that creates a link to a replica of the files and folders from a “Smart Box” or only of some of them, keeping the same tree structure of folders as in the “smart Box”. This link to the replica can be pasted in a document or emailed to anybody (user or not).

  • Share hyperlinks provide anyone direct access by means of a Web browser to one copy of all or some of the folders and files of any “Smart Box” keeping its same tree structure. They are shortcuts to the contents without the recipient of the hyperlink being able to act over the “Smart Box”.
  • However, if the recipient of the hyperlink is also authorized over the “Smart Box” he may also access it directly as such authorized user via a gateway from the same Web page, either with the Web browser or with the CIF client program.

(See screenshots… Sharing files and folders from a “Smart Box” by emailing hyperlinks)

9.- Encryption of files in SMART BOXES

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In CIFKM, apart from the general encryption of all files in its servers, which is necessary to prevent backdoor leaks, bearing in mind that in Organizations especially confidential files are always managed, a secure and robust encryption of confidential files in the SMART BOX has been designed.

The permission to encrypt and decrypt files is a “user role” that in the initial standard version has been configured in a separate role that contains as its single permission this faculty. Including this permission in other user roles is a company decision.

(See screenshots…… Configuration of “user role” to “Encrypt files”)

All the processes of encryption and decryption of files are done automatically locally in the CIFKM client program. The user only needs to remember the secret encryption key that he has chosen to enter it when asked to do so. The user, who has the file encryption role, choses his secret encryption key, either the first time he encrypts a file, or from the menu of the floating icon “My personal data window” in the button “options” (see screen shots below), where they may later also modify it.

(See screenshots…… What a user must do for encrypting and uploading files to a Smart Box, and authorizing other users to decrypt)

When the user enters his key for the first time, the CIFKM client program generates automatically for him a pair of keys, public and private, and with the secret key chosen and an AES algorithm, automatically his private key is encrypted. This key, thus encrypted will be uploaded to the server so that, when the user would like to decrypt some file in which he is authorized, it will be accessible to him from any work post that has the CIFKM program installed. Obviously, when a user changes his secret encryption key, the client program only has to download from the server his private encrypted key with the old secret key, decrypt it with the latter and and encrypt it with the new secret key, to upload it later to the server.

(See screenshots…… Create a pair of keys, public and private, and encrypt this last one by means of a secret password with algorithm AES)

The users to encrypt and upload, and download and decrypt, a file must:

  • Have access to the Smart Box. Thus, some users may create a specific Smart Box that is only accessible to them, to upload encrypted files and share them in full certainty that noone else will be able to decrypt them.
  • Have the user role that allows them to encrypt/decrypt the file.
  • Each one must have created his pair of keys, public and private, which he does automatically when entering his secret encryption key for the first time
  • Be authorized to decrypt the specific file, either because they have been authorized initially by the user that encrypted and uploaded it, or because later some user authorized to decrypt them authorized them.

With the encryption of files one achieves:

  • That a user may have in CIFKM only files that he may decrypt.
  • That a group of users may collaborate with the certainty that only they may decrypt the files that they share.
  • That two or more persons may correspond via emails, CIFKM notices or notes, with hyperlinks to files thus encrypted, with the greatest confidence that only they may view them and no other person, even though he may access his email folders.
Presentation: CIFKM encryption, safe document management

(See Security and encryption…… Security and encryption ……

(See screenshots…… CIFKM Floating Icon Menu …… Configuration of “user role” to “encrypt files”)

(See screenshots…… How to create a pair of keys, public and private, and encrypt this last one by means of a secret password with algorithm AES?)

(See screenshots…… What a user must do for encrypting and uploading files to a smartbox, and authorizing other users to decrypt)

10.- Temporary locked files as changes are made to them (check-in, check-out)

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There are two types of file locking: (1) permanent locking and (2) locking of changes by other users (check-out), that is temporary and that the user applies during the time he makes changes in the file, to preserve it from changes made by other users. Here, we describe this second type of locking.

While the file is locked, the remaining users will only be able to download the original file that existed before the lock. On the contrary, the user that has done the locking will download his last modified version and if he views the history of file changes, he will see the prior versions to and after the locking, modified by him. The versions are differentiated by their background colors.

When the user unlocks the file, he is shown two options:

  • Unlock and save the changes made (check-in). In this case, the original file is replaced by the last version with the modifications he has made, that are then accessible to other users.
  • Unlock and discard changes. In this case, one reverts to the situation prior to the lock.

The locking and unlocking of a file only has effect when the “Smart Box” that contains it is saved.

The user having locked the file appears in the file change history window

The window of locked Files by the user.

All the files locked by a user are displayed for him in this window of locked files of the floating icon menu, from where he can operate on them using the right mouse button menu.

Related contents of the help

() Lock files for changes

11.- The SMART BOX templates

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The templates allow one to create SMART BOXES of different types. Each one must be designed with the necessary components for the creation and development of the specific type of SMART BOX.

The permission to create templates is a “user role” that in the initial standard version has been configured in a separate role that has as its only permission this faculty, apart from being included also in the administrator role. Including this permission in other user roles is a company decision.

(See screenshots…… Configuration of “user role” to create “templates” for Smart Boxes and Searches)

Once the template has been created, it is managed and used by the groups of users (personal or collective) included in it, among which may not be included the creator of the template if he has not been included in it. Each group of users will be able to administrate or use the template, in accordance with the “template roles” that he has been assigned in it. In the standard version, there are two types of “template role”: administrate and use.

(See screenshots…… List of standard configured “template roles”)

(See in this order…… “CIFKM Floating Icon Menu“……”List of Configured “Smat Box templates“…… “User groups” and their “template roles” over “Smart Box templates”…… “User groups” and their “Smart Box roles” over “Smart Boxes” created with the “template“)

In each group of users only those users or groups of users (members or not of the group) who have been assigned the “group role” called “read/use other elements” may act on the template. In the initial standard version, this role comprises the necessary user group permissions to act on any other element (Smart Box, Smart Box or search template, attribute) in which the group is included with the appropriate element permissions (roles).

Thus, sets of templates may be designed for groups and specific areas of the company. The remaining users for whom it is not available will not be able to view them. The user may find any of the templates that area available to him at any of these locations.

  • The set of all of them is shown in the tab “available templates” of the window of the “Wizard for new Smart Boxes” (See screenshots…. Floating icon menu and wizard for new “Smart Boxes”;) of the Floating Icon menu and the subset of them with a shortcut from the CIFKM desktop, in the tab “desktop templates” of the same wizard. In this window also appears juxtaposed in its lower part, the window My pending files to facilitate, if necessary, the selection of files that one may wish to incorporate to a new Smart Box that one would like to create with the wizard.
  • In the CIFKM desktop, the CIFKM administrator may have incorporated shortcuts to all or only some of the templates, or the actual user, if he is is authorized in his user role may also incorporate in his own desktop shortcuts to search or element templates that may be available to him, using the context menu of the right mouse button placing the pointer over the window of his CIFKM desktop.
  • The CIFKM administrator may also have included some template that is used frequently by a certain type of users as an option in the menu of the Floating Icon of these users.

Each user will use the templates that he has available to create new SMART BOXES of the specific type that corresponds to the template and also to perform default searches. The template allows the user to open the Smart Box form so that it may be filled out.

Apart from the possible code (scripts) that may be incorporated for automatic behaviours, the components of the common templates that are shown in the pallette of components make reference to:

  • Information on the access permissions (groups of users). In the “templates” there are two sections that refer respectively to: (1) a “group of users” with “template roles” (permissions) over the “template” and (2) a “group of users” with “Smart Box roles” (publication permissions) over the “Smart Boxes” that are going to be created with the “template”. These “groups of users” need not coincide.
  • Attributes (fields) that will define the content of an element (definition, qualification and classification).
  • Multiple types of sections for files, links, notes, notifications, states, etc.
  • Predetermined files or models.
  • Links to other elements, for example, instructions manuals, etc…
  • Notifications and notices.
  • Forms: visual configuration of the element, data boxes, tabs, lists…

(See screenshots… Floating icon menu …… List of configured Smart Box templates …… “Template for Smart Box matters with “Form” sellected” …… Template form designer …… “Smart Box template” and “User groups” with their “Template roles” in it “

The templates are an essential instrument in CIFKM, since they include not only the layout of the forms to be filled out to create Smart Boxes with data or values in blank, or predefined, modifiable or not by the user, but also, if necessary it comprises all the functionality that the Smart Box must incorporate, since as has been mentioned, the template may contain programming code for the Smart Boxes.

Related contents of the help

() Administration of SMART BOX templates

() Templates available to each user

() Template

() Default searches of elements and their contents

() The search template

12.- Search for SMART BOXES and their files (Search Templates)

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The search forms are designed and configured in search templates to locate SMART BOX and their contents, using filters and displaying the results in the form, itemization and order predefined in the corresponding templates..

(See screenshots… Floating icon menu …… List of configured search templates ……. Search template form and “user groups” included with “template roles” in it

CIFKM indexes all the text contents, both of the element form, such as titles, descriptions, notes, etc., as well as the files incorporated to the actual SMART BOX, except those that have been uploaded encrypted, in which only the name is indexed. Thus, one of the basic filters in the searches, either alone or combined with others, is free text.

The search templates are configured, administrated and used the same as the Smart Box templates and the users access them from the menus of the floating icon and the CIFKM desktop, in the form that these last have been configured by the administrators (See…… Menu’s administration).

Certain predefined search templates may have marked their check-boxesshow in the Web“. In this case, the users, both internal and external, that have access to the template will be able to use it by means of a Web-browser to search for CIFKM Smart Boxes and thus access and download their files.

Related contents of the help

() Predefined searches of SMART BOX and their contents

() The search template

() Templates available to each user

13.- Notices, notes, notifications and the alert pop-up window

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These are functionalities that are available to all the users. Among the “user roles” there are:

  • Create types of normal and periodic messages (classify them). The administrators.
  • Administrate types alerts and events for the notifications programmed in the SMART BOX.

In the standard intial version these permissions have been marked only in the “user role” that corresponds to the administrators.

(See screenshots…… “User role” permission for administrate types of messages and types of notifications and events)

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Notices and reminders

  • They refer to an event that may or not have a duration (start and finish date). For example, a notice may refer to a meeting.
  • They are either created manually or are programmed in an element template or in a work-flow before the occurence of an event or its absence.
  • They may have attached files and/or be linked to a SMART BOX which one accesses directly from the notice.
  • They may be marked so that they are displayed in the calendar of either the user or of their recipients along with their duration.
  • In the notices, apart from the start and finish date of the event, one may mark another date (prior or posterior to the event) so that an alert is fired, that will be displayed in the alert pop-up window of the user.
      • The notice may also generate an email to the address of some or all of the recipients. If the notice is linked to a “Smart Box“, a hyperlink to its URL address will appear in the email.

(See screenshots…… Notice form)

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Notices with notes

These are notices that are created from the notes section of the SMART BOXES (normally by users that collaborate on the matter of a Smart Box) that allow one to:

  • Attach files of the element from the files section. The original version (at the time of attachment) of the attached files is maintained even though it may later have been modified in the CIFKM element.
  • Create threads of notes with their responses to facilitate the tracking of the actions. The notes threads, with all their data, remain registered and may be viewed in the notes section of the element, just as though we were dealing with a forum.

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Notifications

  • These are automatic notices that are programmed in the Notifications section of the SMART BOXES, or are preconfigured in SMART BOX templates, for when an event takes place, or in its absence. The event may refer to the phase of a work-flow.
  • The possibility of incorporating scripting code in the templates allows one to establish different types of notifications with different recipients, for example, that depend on the value of a certain attribute, etc.

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The user´s notices window

The user can search and filter his notices with distinct parameters, separate those sent from those received, those pending from those discarded, and view them in the following sites:

  • In the calendar. Only those that are marked so that they may be viewed in the user calendar.

(See screenshots….. Notices received)

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The alert pop-up window

  • The notices may or not have an alert date marked, either a specific date, or a date relative to the present moment or the date of the “event”. For example, if the notice refers to a meeting, with its date being that of the “event”, apart from being able to mark it so that it is displayed in the calendar, we can mark it so that an alert is displayed with some advance notice.
  • The alert pop-up window will only appear if there are notices that have passed their alert date and will only display these notices. This window pops up automatically in the user´s screen in an intrusive manner with the configured frequency, for example every 5 minutes, but only when there exists some notice such that its alert date has been passed.
  • Each user can administrate (postpone, cancel, etc.) the alert dates of his received notices.

(See screenshots…… Alert pop-up window)

Related contents of the help

() Notices, notes and notifications

() Calendar

() Notes section of a SMART BOX

() Notifications section of a SMART BOX

() Alert pop-up window

14.- CIFKM Calendar

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In the calendar are marked the user´s notices that have the “display in calendar” box marked.

The user who creates the notice can thus mark them for the recipients, and the latter can also mark or unmark the notices that they have received.

Apart from all the functionalities that one would expect to see in a digital calendar, the CIFKM calendar has the following special characteristics:

  • One can filter by the types of notices that the CIFKM administrator has created in the administration/administration of types of notices option of the Floating Icon menu.
  • The user may authorize other users to view in their calendar all or certain types of notices, and establish, if necessary, modification faculties.
  • The user calendar can be automatically synchronized with an account that the user may have in Google Calendar and which he has entered his user window in CIFKM, or from the user´s own CIFKM calendar, one being able to administrate it in both senses, from Google Calendar or from CIFKM. Thus, the user will be able to view and administrate his CIFKM calendar from any mobile device that allows one to access the Google account (Synchronization with Google Calendar). The CIFKM calendar is synchronized automatically at prefixed intervals with the user´s calendars according to configuration. By default every 5 minutes.

(See screenshots…… User’s calendar)

Related contents of the help

() CIFKM calendar

() Synchronization with Google calendar

15.- The CIFKM floating icon

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The CIFKM Floating icon is located in the desktop of the PC, always in center stage, in front of any other window. If, at any time, due to a conflict with another window, we lose sight of it, then we will be able to click on the CIFKM icon of the task bar, and the floating icon will reappear again in center stage of the desktop, flashing three times so that it is visible.

  • It allows the user to access the CIFKM functionalities menu, that he has been assigned.
  • When drag and dropping files or folders of files over the floating icon from any window, these will be uploaded to My pending files and the Floating icon will indicate when the transfer is taking place and when it finishes.

(See screenshots…… Floating icon user’s Menu)

Related contents of the help

() Floating Icon of CIFKM

() My pending files

16.- The CIFKM desktop

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The CIFKM user desktop is a window that opens when one starts up CIFKM and that one may also access from the main menu of the floating icon.

The desktop window has two parts:

  • The upper bar displays a function’s menu that is predetermined for the user, since it is the CIFKM administrator who determines the menu that needs to be displayed in each type of desktop.
  • The main body where are located the objects that the user would like to have shortcuts closer at hand (functions, templates of Smart Boxes,search templates, Smart Boxes, etc.).
  • “Double-clicking” over the icon of an object in the desktop, its functionality is executed or the element window appears.

The icons may be moved on the desktop with the mouse left clic button.

  • The CIFKM administrator may assign a specific desktop to each user with the objects that will always appear for the user.
  • The user, if he has the faculty do so in his user role, may later, add or remove other objects at his convenience. The user manages the desktop objects with the context menu of the right mouse button, either placing the pointer over an icon, or in an empty space of the window.

The administration of desktops is a “user role” permission that in the standard initial version has only been marked in the “user role” that corresponds to the administrators.

(See screenshots…… DESKTOP)

(See screenshots…… The permission to configure desktops lies in “user roles”)

Related contents of the help

() The CIFKM desktop

() Administration of menus

17.- Copy and paste/ Drag and drop and context menus of the mouse right clic button

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The context menus of the mouse right clic button and Copy and Paste /Drag and Drop, (CP / DD) are functions that are widely extended throughout the CIFKM application. They can be used for:

  • Uploading/ downloading fies
  • Uploading/ downloading folders
  • Creating links between Smart Boxes
  • Copying hyperlinks to clipboard
  • Syncronizing files and folders from Smart Boxes in the local “Syncro folder”
  • (…)

(See screenshots…… Copy and paste, drag and drop, and menu of the right mouse button)

Related contents of the help

() Copy and paste / Drag and drop

18.- Attributes to configure the SMART BOXES

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The attributes are data or values that the users incorporate to SMART BOXES to qualify them, grade or classify them, establish states. Their modification or its absence may trigger “programmed notifications” (notices) and in the searches they act as filters to delimit or identify what one is searching for.

The permission to create configurations of attributes is a user role, that in the standard initial version is only marked in the administrator role. Nevertheless, the Company may also apply it at other “roles”.

In the configuration window of each attribute are included the groups of users for which the attribute must be visible and who may enter values when it is displayed in a SMART BOX.

Besides, Any user from these “groups of users” included in the attribute configuration window that have the user role for administrating attributes is empwered to administrate the attribute.

For that reason, in the attribute configuration window, unlike for other CIFKM elements (Smart Boxes, groups of users, Smart Box and search templates), there aren´t different “attribute roles” to be assigned to the included “groups of users”, because the permission to administrate them is a (user role) that allows one to administrate the configuration of any attribute visible to the user, and the groups of users that are included in each of the configurations may view it and use it (enter values) in the Smart Boxes and in the Search Forms.

One same type of attribute may be replicated and associated to different groups of users. Thus, for example, different attribute of the same kind may exist (e.g attribute configuration for registration of documents) for each of the areas of the company, represented in groups of users.

However, except in cases such as this last one, the configurations of attributes will apply generally to the entire company. Thus, in these general configurations, the comprehensive “general group” of all the users will be included. This way, one avoids, when a type of Smart Box template is configured, having to pay attention to the visibility and usability of these attributes that may be included in the template.

The different attribute configurations that may be created refer to the following types:

  • Short text: Attribute of text type, limited to 255 characters, it doesn’t allow line breaks.
  • Multiline text: Attribute of text type, without a limit on the number of characters, and with line breaks.
  • Whole number: Only allows whole numbers.
  • Decimal number: Allows decimal numbers.
  • Category: Attribute that allows one to represent a tree of labels, to be used for classification. Thanks to its tree structure, it allows one to define a hierarchy of values, and later in searches find any value searching for the actual value or for some of its parents.
  • List of values: Attribute that allows one to represent a list of values, where each value may have a text, an icon and a color (these two options are optional). It serves as classification
  • Date: Date attribute.
  • Date and time: Allows on to specify a date and a time.
  • External data: Attribute that allows one to access external databases to launch searches and save a related datum, for example, a database with the code of clients, allowing one to search the client by name.
  • True or false: It will be displayed as a validation box (yes or no).
  • Registration: Attribute that allows one to generate registration numbers, depending on how it is configured in the registration mask, (e.g. control numerical counters with restarts at determined dates (annual restart, etc). These numbers are generated by the system and do not allow the user to edit them.
  • Email: Attribute of text type, that allows one to store an email address and that will be displayed in the window of a Smart Box with a button to send an email to the address entered.
  • Web page: Attribute of text type, that allows one to store a Web address and that will be displayed in the window of a Smart Box with a button to open the Web page in the predetermined Web browser.
  • Telephone number: For the contact Smart Boxes.

(See in this order… “CIFKM Floating Icon Menu“……”List of Configured Attributes“……”Configure an “Atribute” selecting attribute type and assigning “User groups“)

Related contents of the help

() Administration of attributes

19.- Use of external and internal references and links to contextualize the SMART BOXES

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  • External references. Frequently one will have to identify a type of SMART BOX with references to data that are in the databases of other management applications. In such cases, in the corresponding template is incorporated a configuration of the type of attribute “external data” that allows one to view and select and incorporate data from external databases. These data may facilitate the posterior search since the same type of attribute may be incorporated to specific search templates.

(See screenshots…… Configuration of an attribute “external data”)

  • SMART BOXES that are used as internal references of other SMART BOXES. An example should clarify the advantages. In the standard initial version, in the SMART BOX of type “Matter” there are three data-boxes called “client/reference”, that are there to incorporate links to a SMART BOXES of type “Contact” that have their square-box “Is a client/reference?” marked.
  • Links between SMART BOXES. If one selects and copies to clipboard a Smart Box from any listing and pastes it to the “links section” of any other Smart Box, a link is created between them both.

On the one hand, one may search filtering by these “references/ clients”. On the other hand, if we open a SMART BOX of a referenced contact, the associated SMART BOX appears as a link.

Thus, one may find all the matters associated to a reference or a client. All these are mere configurations of SMART BOXES and search templates, so the concept may be adapted to any need of the company.

(Seescreenshot…… Contact Smart Box, with its “client/reference” check-box marked, linked to a “matter Smart Box”)

20.- Administration of roles

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The “roles” are sets of elementary faculties or privileges, that are configured by the CIFKM administrators under the name (name of role) so that they may be assigned to users or groups of users. The comprehensive faculties of the roles refer:

  • To the users due to their activity or position in the company (user roles) that are assigned once they are registered
  • To the groups of users (group roles), that are assigned marking them in the form of each group;
  • To Smart Box templates or pre-defined search templates (template roles), that are assigned marking them in each template;
  • To each specific SMART BOX (SMART BOX roles), that are assigned marking them in each SMART BOX.

(See in this order… “CIFKM Floating Icon Menu“……”Configured Role List“……”User Role” with all permissions (administrator)

The four types of roles are the following:

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User roles. These are the different sets of faculties that are assigned to each user as a function of his position and responsibilities in the company, either when they are registered, or later by the administrators in the personal user windows.

(See screenshots…… List of standard configured “user roles”)

(See screenshots…… Assigning “user roles” and adding or removing “user groups” to a user from his “card of personal data” by an administrator)

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Group roles. These are the sets of faculties that are configured for the administration of the groups of users and that are assigned (marked in the windows of each user group) to the users or groups included in a group, and to users not included in it and who must carry out actions related to the group or to other objects (Smart Boxes, templates, searches, attributes, etc.) in which the group is included.

  • Permissions over the “Group of users“: (1) Manage the group, (2) use it as a filter in searches
  • Permissions over the objects in which the group is included, since not all (members and non-members with permissions over the group) should have the same faculties to act regarding the object.

(See screenshots…… List of standard configured “group roles”)

(See screenshots…… Set of permissions to configure “group-roles”)

For example, the group roles determine which users may later reconfigure the group, may include or exclude other users in/from it and may assign them group roles, determine the actions that other users may take using the group. Thus, for example, if a user has the general faculty in his “user role” of creating Smart Boxes, when creating a specific one, the group role that he may have been assigned over a specific group of users will determine if he can or not include this group in the element so that it may be visible to and may be administrated by members of the group, etc.

Also, with the group roles one may determine whether or not a user is a member of the group, may have permissions in it, so that he may include it in a CIFKM element that he is creating; he may later not be able to view its content because he is not a member of this group, though he has been able to include the group in the element.

There are many combinations, and our purpose in this help is only to indicate some possibilities.

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Template roles. These are groupings of faculties that are configured for the management of the Smart Box template and predefined search templates and that are assigned (marked in the templates) to the groups included in it.

These roles allow one to determine the use permissions (templates available to each user), and/or management and/or modification permissions of each specific template, by the users in the groups of users included in the

To the designer at configuration of a template, all the template roles are shown that the CIFKM administrators may have configured, so that they may be assigned to groups of users that will use it and/or modify it in the future.

(See screenshots…… List of standard configured “template roles”)

(See in this order…… “CIFKM Floating Icon Menu“……”List of Configured “Smat Box templates“…… “User groups” and their “template roles” over the “Smart Box template”…… “User groups” and their “Smart Box roles” over “Smart Boxes” created with the “template“)

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SMART BOX roles. They are configured for the administration of the SMART BOXES and they are marked in the Smart Box forms to the groups of users included in it.

These roles might determine the permissions over Smart Box of the groups of users included in it.

It is important to note that only the members and not the non-members of the “groups of users” that have the “group role” called “read/use other elements” (See….”read/use other items”) may use the permissions of the “Smart Box roles” assigned to the group in the smartbox.

To the creator of a SMART BOX are shown all the SMART BOX roles that the CIFKM administrators have configured, so that he may assign them to the “groups of users” included in the SMART BOX. However, it could also be possible that the creator of the element may not be able to assign SMART BOX roles to anyone becasue these are determined in a fixed and excluding way in the actual SMART BOX template that he is using. Furthermore, the template, with scripting code, may contain certain intelligence, so that depending on the values of a certain attribute, SMART BOX roles are assigned automatically to certain groups of users, who must later manage the matter that the SMART BOX refers to.

(See screenshots……List of standard configured “Smart Box roles”)

(See screenshots…… Smart Box permission section and “user groups” included in it, with their “Smart Box roles” assigned)

21. – Administration of menus

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  • The CIFKM administrator can configure divers types of menus that show (shortcuts) to functionalities, to templates to create new Smart Boxes, and to search templates, to assign them to different users.
  • Each user has two functionalities menu that are displayed for him in the Floating Icon and in the CIFKM desktop (in the upper bar of the desktop), which may be different from one another.
  • In the floating icon is displayed for each user the menu in whose configuration the user has been included. If a user is not included in any menu configuration then it will be shown the one that has been set by default.
  • In each CIFKM desktop configuration administrator selects the menu that needs to be displayed in it, that will be shown to the users who have been assigned this menu configuration.

Therefore, the same or different menus may appear for the user in the Floating Icon menu and on the CIFKM desktop, depending on how the assignment was made.

(See screenshots…… Configuration of menus by the administrators)

(See screenshots…… The permission to configure menus lies in “user roles”)

Related contents of the help

() Administration of menus

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