Managing Attachment Categories

Deciding Which Document Categories to Maintain

Attachment categories give Pams users one shared list for classifying uploaded documents. When users add an Attachment to a sales job, project, account, invoice, MRQ, purchase order, or another Pams record that provides an Attachment Category selector, they can choose a label that explains the document’s purpose.

A category is not the document itself. The uploaded file remains the Attachment, with its own file name and the Pams record it belongs to. The category adds a clear label to that file. For example, a file can be named with the relevant job number or document reference, while its Attachment Category is Contract, Invoice, Inspection report, or Correspondence.

Use names that make immediate sense in the Attachment Category selector:

• Use singular, purpose-based names such as Contract, Invoice, Certificate, or Correspondence.
• Use a consistent writing style. For example, choose either Inspection report or Inspection Report and use that style for all categories.
• Keep the name broad enough to be useful on more than one Pams record.
• Avoid record-specific details in category names. A category such as Invoice is useful; a category that includes a particular Invoice Number is not.
• Check spelling and existing labels before adding a new category. Minor variations such as Invoice, Invoices, and Invoice document create confusing choices for users.

Because Attachment categories are shared configuration, changes can affect document classification wherever the category is available in Pams. Renaming a category changes the wording users see when selecting a category. Removing or retiring a category can also affect how users classify future attachments and how they recognize existing classifications. Review category changes carefully with the teams that use sales, purchasing, warehouse, financial, and project records.

For related quality configuration, see Configuring ISO Survey Models.

Opening the Attachment Categories List

Use the Attachment categories page to review and maintain the shared labels available for document attachments in Pams. Start by checking the current list before creating a category, especially if you need a label for a document type that may already be covered by an existing name.

1. Open Configuration in Pams.
2. Select Attachment categories from the available configuration options.
3. Review the category list and read the existing Name values. Look for labels that already describe the document purpose you need, such as Contract, Invoice, or Correspondence.
4. Use the search or filter controls on the list to find a category by its Name when many categories are configured. Search for key words rather than creating a new label immediately.
5. Open a category from the list when you need to review or update its Name.
6. Use the available create control on the Attachment categories page when no suitable category is already listed.

Treat this page as the source of truth for document labels. Users selecting an Attachment Category on Pams records should see names that have already been checked for clarity and duplication. For example, if the list already contains Inspection report, do not add Inspection reports simply because one document needs classification.

When reviewing the list, consider whether each name identifies a document purpose without overlapping another category. Contract and Invoice are distinct purposes. By contrast, Invoice, Invoice document, and Invoices would normally give users multiple choices for the same purpose.

If you are reviewing a category because a user cannot find it while adding an Attachment, first confirm the exact wording in this list. The category may already exist under a different, but still valid, Name.

Creating Categories for New Document Types

Create a new attachment category only when the existing Attachment categories list does not provide a clear choice for a document purpose. A new category should help users classify documents consistently on the Pams records where the Attachment Category selector is available.

1. In Configuration, open Attachment categories.
2. Review the existing category names and use the search or filter controls to check for a similar entry.
3. Select the available create control on the Attachment categories page.
4. Enter the label users should see in the Name field.
5. Keep the Name short, descriptive, and focused on the document purpose.
6. Select Save to store the category.
7. Return to the Attachment categories list and confirm that the new Name appears in the list.

Use names that separate document purposes without describing a specific transaction, job, customer, principal, or file. The following examples are clear categories:

Avoid creating names such as Contract for Sales Job 2025, Client invoice, or Inspection report final version. These details belong in the Attachment file name and the Pams record that holds the Attachment, not in the shared category list.

After saving, test the category on an Attachment before asking other users to rely on it. This confirms that the wording is clear in the Attachment Category selector and that it fits the document types your team handles.

Updating Categories Without Creating Duplicate Choices

Update an existing attachment category when your team’s terminology changes or when the current Name is unclear. Start from the existing category record rather than creating another entry. This keeps the Attachment Category selector focused and avoids users selecting several labels for the same kind of document.

1. Open Configuration > Attachment categories.
2. Search or filter the list using the category’s current Name.
3. Open the category you want to review.
4. Check the Name against similar entries already shown in the Attachment categories list.
5. Change the Name only when the revised wording is clearer and does not duplicate another label.
6. Select Save.
7. Return to the list and confirm that the updated Name is displayed as intended.

Before saving a change, search for close variations. For example, if you want to rename Invoices to Invoice, first check whether Invoice already exists. If it does, decide which single category should remain available rather than leaving both options in the list. The same check applies to labels such as Contract and Contracts, or Correspondence and Client correspondence.

Do not remove or retire a category simply because its wording is older. First check whether users still need that classification on existing or future Attachments across Pams. A category may be used for documents connected to sales jobs, projects, purchase orders, invoices, Quality Control, or other daily work. If the goal is clearer wording, renaming the existing category may be more appropriate than removing it.

Use one agreed label for each document purpose. This makes document reviews faster because users do not have to interpret several nearly identical choices.

Classifying Documents with an Attachment Category

When you add or edit an Attachment on a Pams record, use the Attachment Category selector to identify what the document is for. The selector shows the category names maintained on the Configuration > Attachment categories page.

1. Open the Pams record where you are adding or reviewing an Attachment, such as a sales job, project, invoice, purchase order, MRQ, or warehouse-related record.
2. Open the area used to add or edit the Attachment.
3. Upload or select the document file as required on that record.
4. Open the Attachment Category selector.
5. Choose the category that best describes the document’s purpose, such as Contract, Invoice, Inspection report, or Correspondence.
6. Save the Attachment or save the Pams record, depending on the screen you are using.
7. Reopen the Attachment if needed and confirm that the selected Attachment Category is shown.

Select categories consistently. For example, use Contract for an agreement connected to a principal, client, or project. Use Invoice for an invoice file, even if that invoice is connected to a sales job or purchase order. Use Inspection report for a document that records an inspection result. Use Correspondence for written communication that needs to remain with the related Pams record.

The Attachment Category does not replace the file name, the uploaded file, or the record to which the document belongs. Keep the file name meaningful and attach it to the correct sales, purchasing, warehouse, financial, or project record. The category simply gives users an additional way to understand the document’s purpose when reviewing Attachments.

If no category fits, do not select a misleading label. Ask the person responsible for Attachment categories to review whether a new shared category is needed.

Verifying Category Availability Across Pams

After creating or updating a category, verify that users can select it while adding an Attachment. This short check confirms both the saved category name and the way it appears in the Attachment Category selector.

1. Open a Pams record where Attachments are available and where a test document can be added or reviewed.
2. Add a new Attachment or open an existing Attachment for editing.
3. Open the Attachment Category selector.
4. Search for the new or updated category Name.
5. Select the category and save the Attachment or the related Pams record.
6. Reopen the Attachment and confirm that the selected Attachment Category remains displayed.
7. Return to Configuration > Attachment categories if the category is missing, appears with unexpected wording, or duplicates another choice.

If a newly created category does not appear, first reopen Attachment categories and confirm that its Name was saved. Check the spelling carefully, especially where similar category names exist. Also confirm that you are working in the expected Pams environment before repeating the creation process.

If duplicate or outdated categories appear in the selector, return to the Attachment categories list and search for the conflicting Name values. Review whether the categories describe the same document purpose. Update the wording or retire the category that your team no longer needs, only after considering existing Attachments and the teams that use them.

A successful check has two results: the category is available for selection, and the selected category remains attached to the document after you save and reopen the record. This confirms that users can apply the category consistently during normal work.

Overview

Attachment categories are shared labels that help users identify the purpose of uploaded documents in Pams. They are maintained in Configuration > Attachment categories and appear in the Attachment Category selector where document attachments can be classified.

Use the shared list to keep document handling consistent across connected sales, purchasing, warehouse, financial, Quality Control, and project workflows. A clear category makes it easier for a user reviewing an Attachment to recognize whether it is a Contract, Invoice, Inspection report, Correspondence, or another agreed document type.

Key points to keep in mind:

• The Name field is the label users see when choosing an Attachment Category.
• An attachment category classifies the document’s purpose; it does not replace the file name or change the Pams record that holds the Attachment.
• The same category should be used for the same document purpose wherever that category is available.
• Before creating a category, search the Attachment categories list for an existing label with the same meaning.
• Avoid small wording differences that create duplicate choices, such as Invoice, Invoices, and Invoice document.
• Review the impact of renaming, removing, or retiring a category because the list is shared across Pams.

The category list works best when it remains short, purposeful, and agreed by the teams that use documents every day. If users can identify the right choice without interpreting several similar labels, Attachments remain easier to review throughout the sales cycle, procurement cycle, warehouse work, invoice handling, and project delivery.

When a document needs more specific identification, use the Attachment file name and attach the file to the correct Pams record. Keep Attachment categories focused on stable, reusable document purposes.

Prerequisites

Before creating, updating, or reviewing Attachment categories, make sure you can access Configuration and open the Attachment categories page. This page controls a shared list, so category changes should follow the naming approach used by the teams that work with Attachments in Pams.

Prepare the following before changing a category:

• A clear document purpose that the category should represent, such as Contract, Invoice, Inspection report, or Correspondence.
• The proposed wording for the Name field.
• Confirmation that the same or a very similar Name does not already appear in Attachment categories.
• An understanding of where the category will be used, such as Attachments connected to sales jobs, projects, invoices, purchase orders, MRQs, or Quality Control records.
• A suitable Pams record where you can test the category in the Attachment Category selector after saving it.

Do not create a category for information that belongs in a file name, document reference, Invoice Number, Sales Job Number, Project Name, or other record-specific detail. For example, use Invoice as the category and keep identifying details in the file name and the related Pams record.

If you are updating a category, review its current Name and search for similar labels before making the change. This is particularly important when changing plural words, abbreviations, punctuation, or capitalization. A revised Name should make the selector clearer, not add another interpretation of the same document type.

Once categories are available and in active use, continue with Reviewing Audit and Change History to review recorded changes made in Pams.