📋 Document

Understanding Documents in ERPNext

In ERPNext, everything is a Document (also called DocType). Think of documents as digital forms that capture and store your business data:

• Sales Order = Customer purchase request
• Invoice = Bill sent to customer
• Item = Product or service you sell
• Customer = Client information
• Employee = Staff member details

🎯 Creating Your First Custom Document

Let's create a custom document step-by-step using the ERPNext interface.

Step 1: Access DocType Creation

1. Click the search bar at the top (Awesome Bar)
2. Type "DocType List" and press Enter
3. Click the blue "+ Add DocType" button in the top right corner

Step 2: Basic Document Settings

Document Name & Identity:

1. Document Type: Enter a clear name (e.g., "Equipment Request")
2. Module: Choose the relevant module from dropdown
   • Use "Custom" if you're unsure
   • This determines where your document appears in the sidebar

Document Behavior:

1. Is Submittable: ✅ Check this if the document needs approval workflow
2. Is Child Table: ❌ Leave unchecked for main documents
3. Track Changes: ✅ Check to track who made what changes
4. Allow Import: ✅ Check if you want to bulk import data via Excel

Step 3: Adding Fields to Your Document

Click the "Fields" section to start adding fields:

Text Fields

1. Click "+ Add Row" in the Fields table
2. Field Type: Select "Data" for short text
3. Field Label: Enter what users will see (e.g., "Employee Name")
4. Field Name: Auto-generated (don't change unless necessary)
5. Required: ✅ Check if field is mandatory

Number Fields

1. Field Type: Select "Int" for whole numbers or "Float" for decimals
2. Field Label: e.g., "Quantity Requested"
3. Default Value: Set a default if needed

Date Fields

1. Field Type: Select "Date" or "Datetime"
2. Field Label: e.g., "Required By Date"
3. Default: Can set to "Today" for current date

Dropdown Fields

1. Field Type: Select "Select"
2. Field Label: e.g., "Priority Level"
3. Options: Enter options separated by line breaks:

   Low
   Medium
   High
   Urgent

Link Fields (Connect to Other Documents)

1. Field Type: Select "Link"
2. Field Label: e.g., "Employee"
3. Options: Enter the document to link to (e.g., "Employee")

Step 4: Organizing Fields with Sections

Create logical sections to make your form user-friendly:

1. Add a "Section Break" field before starting a new section
2. Field Label: Name your section (e.g., "Request Details")
3. Add a "Column Break" to create side-by-side fields

Example Organization:

Section: Employee Information
├── Employee (Link)
├── Department (Link)
└── Column Break
    ├── Request Date (Date)
    └── Required By (Date)

Section: Equipment Details
├── Equipment Type (Select)
├── Description (Text Editor)
└── Quantity (Int)

Step 5: Setting Up Permissions

Click the "Permissions" tab:

1. Role-Based Access: Choose who can access this document

   • Employee: Can create and read their own
   • HR Manager: Can read and write all
   • System Manager: Full access

2. Permission Levels: For each role, set:

   • Read: ✅ View documents
   • Write: ✅ Edit documents
   • Create: ✅ Make new documents
   • Submit: ✅ Finalize documents (if submittable)
   • Cancel: ✅ Reverse submitted documents

Step 6: Naming Your Documents

Click the "Naming" section:

1. Auto Name: Choose how documents get numbered:

   • "naming_series:" - Use a prefix (e.g., EQR-2024-)
   • "field:fieldname" - Use a specific field value
   • "format:" - Custom format with date/counters

2. For Naming Series, click "Options" and add:

   EQR-{YYYY}-{MM}-{#####}

   This creates: EQR-2024-01-00001

Step 7: Save and Test

1. Click "Save" to create your document type
2. Test it by going to your new document:
   • Use Awesome Bar to search for your document name
   • Click "+ Add [Your Document]"
   • Fill out a test form to ensure everything works

🔧 Customizing Existing Documents

You can also modify ERPNext's built-in documents:

Using Customize Form

1. Go to: Setup → Customization → Customize Form
2. Select Document Type: Choose the document to customize (e.g., "Sales Order")
3. Add Custom Fields: Click "+ Add Field" to add your own fields
4. Modify Existing Fields: Edit labels, make fields mandatory, hide unwanted fields
5. Save your customizations

Common Customizations:

Adding Company-Specific Fields

• Add fields for internal codes, categories, or tracking numbers
• Example: Adding "Project Code" to Sales Orders

Modifying Field Properties

• Make optional fields required
• Hide fields that don't apply to your business
• Change field labels to match your terminology

Adding Validation Rules

• Set minimum/maximum values for number fields
• Create dependencies between fields
• Add custom validation messages

📋 Document Workflows

Setting Up Approval Processes

1. Go to: Setup → Workflow → Workflow

2. Create New Workflow for your document

3. Define States:

   • Draft (initial state)
   • Pending Approval
   • Approved
   • Rejected

4. Set Transitions:

   • Submit: Draft → Pending Approval
   • Approve: Pending Approval → Approved
   • Reject: Pending Approval → Rejected

5. Assign Actions to Roles:

   • Employee: Can submit
   • Manager: Can approve/reject

Email Notifications

Set up automatic emails when document status changes:

1. Go to: Setup → Email → Notification
2. Create notification for your document type
3. Trigger: Choose when to send (e.g., "On Submit")
4. Recipients: Select who gets the email
5. Message Template: Customize the email content

📊 Document Reports and Analytics

Creating List Views

1. Go to your document list (e.g., Equipment Request List)
2. Click "Customize" (if you have permissions)
3. Add/Remove Columns shown in the list view
4. Set Default Filters for common views
5. Save your customized view

Standard Reports

ERPNext automatically creates reports for your documents:

• Document-wise reports: Show individual document details
• Summary reports: Aggregate data across multiple documents
• Trend analysis: Show patterns over time

🚨 Best Practices

Field Design

• Use clear, descriptive labels: "Customer Phone" not "Phone"
• Group related fields: Use sections and column breaks
• Make important fields required: But don't overdo it
• Set appropriate field types: Use "Currency" for money, "Link" for relationships

Naming Conventions

• Use consistent prefixes: All purchase docs start with "PO-"
• Include dates: Helps with organization and searching
• Keep it short: Long names are hard to work with

Permission Management

• Follow principle of least privilege: Give minimum access needed
• Use role hierarchy: Manager inherits Employee permissions
• Test permissions: Verify users can do what they need to

Performance Tips

• Limit fields in list view: Only show essential columns
• Use appropriate indexes: ERPNext handles this automatically
• Archive old documents: Keep active lists manageable

🔍 Finding and Managing Documents

Using Filters

1. Go to any document list
2. Click the "Filter" button
3. Add filter conditions:
   • Field name (e.g., "Status")
   • Condition (equals, contains, etc.)
   • Value (e.g., "Pending")

Saved Filters

Create frequently-used filter sets:

1. Set up your filters
2. Click "Save Filter"
3. Give it a name (e.g., "My Pending Requests")
4. Access it from the filter dropdown

Bulk Operations

Update multiple documents at once:

1. Select documents using checkboxes
2. Click "Actions" dropdown
3. Choose action: Delete, assign, change status, etc.