OWLdocs Folder Structure

The OWLdocs Folder Structure provides a centralized and organized way to manage documents and other records within OWL. It categorizes files into System Folders and Custom Folders, making it easier for users to locate, access, and manage records based on their associations and purpose.

System Folders are provided and managed automatically by OWL and include Cases, Subjects, Orphan Records, and Direct Uploads. Case and Subject subfolders are created automatically when documents are associated with the respective records. Orphan Records and Direct Uploads provide dedicated locations for documents that are not associated with a Case or Subject.

Custom Folders allow users to create and manage their own folder structure to organize files according to their specific requirements.

The folder structure also maintains the relationship between documents and their associated records. For example, when a Form, Tip, or Task is associated with a Case and has documents attached, those documents are displayed within the corresponding Case folder. This ensures that documents remain organized according to their record associations.

This helps organizations to...

• Centralize and organize documents associated with Cases and Subjects.
• Maintain supporting documents related to Forms, Tasks, Tips, Leads, and Identity Records according to their Case or Subject association.
• Keep investigation-related documents organized and accessible in one location.
• Maintain document organization when Subjects are associated with or detached from Cases.

How it interacts with other features

• Case Dossier: Documents can be uploaded or attached from the Case Dossier and become available in the corresponding Case Folder.
• Subject Dossier: Documents can be uploaded or attached from the Subject Dossier and become available in the corresponding Subject Folder when applicable.
• Forms, Tips, Tasks and Leads, and Identity Records: Documents attached to these records are organized according to their Case or Subject association.

The OWLdocs feature is available based on the user’s role and assigned permissions:

• Admin: Has full access to OWLdocs. Can create subfolders within System Folders and Custom Folders created by other users. Can upload and edit documents available within the folders.
• Team Admin: Has access to OWLdocs and can create subfolders within System Folders and Custom Folders created by other users. Can upload and edit documents associated with the team to which they belong.
• User: Can upload and view documents in both System Folders and Custom Folders. Users can view documents uploaded by higher-licensed users, such as Admins and Team Admins or Department Supervisors, but cannot edit documents uploaded by them.
• External Collaborator: Does not have access to the OWLdocs module. However, collaborators can view documents shared with them for a Case through the Case Dossier.

Accessing OWLdocs

1. Click OWLdocs from the page header. The OWLdocs page opens.

2. Select the required folder from the sidebar.
   

   The sidebar displays both System Folders and Custom Folders.
   

3. Use the Search folders field to search for folders across both System and Custom Folders.
   

System Folders

OWL provides the following System Folders by default:

• Cases
• Subjects
• Orphan Records
• Direct Uploads

System Folders can contain subfolders that are automatically created when documents are associated with the corresponding records. These system-generated subfolders cannot be manually created, renamed, or deleted by users.

Currently, record-specific subfolders are automatically created for Cases and Subjects when at least one document is associated with them.

Documents associated with other record types, such as Forms, Tips, Tasks, and Identity records, are organized based on their association with a Case or Subject.

For example, when a Form, Tip, or Task is associated with a Case and has an attached document, the document is displayed within the corresponding Case folder, maintaining the relationship between the document and the Case.

Case Folders

Case Folders are system-generated subfolders within the Cases System Folder. They provide access to documents associated with a specific Case.

A Case Folder is created only when at least one document is associated with the Case. If a Case has no associated documents, its subfolder is not displayed under the Cases System Folder.

Case Folder Naming

Case subfolders are identified using the Case Name and Case Number.

If the Case Name is updated, the updated name is automatically reflected in the corresponding Case Folder in OWLdocs.

Accessing a Case Folder

1. Click OWLdocs from the page header.
2. Select Cases from the sidebar.
   
3. Locate and select the required Case subfolder.
   
4. View the documents associated with the Case and its related records.

Document Association with a Case

Documents can be associated with a Case in multiple ways, including:

• Uploading a document while creating a new Case.
• Uploading or attaching a document from the Case Dossier.
• Attaching a document to a related record, such as a Subject, Form, Tip, Lead, Task, or Identity Record, that is associated with the Case.

All documents associated with the Case through these methods are accessible from the corresponding Case Folder in OWLdocs.

A Case Folder can therefore contain documents that are:

• Directly associated with the Case.
• Attached to a Subject associated with the Case.
• Attached to a Form associated with the Case.
• Attached to a Tips and Leads associated with the Case.
• Attached to a Task associated with the Case.
• Attached to an Identity Record associated with the Case.

Uploading Documents Directly to a Case Folder

Users can upload documents directly to a Case Folder using the Upload File button available at the top-left of the OWLdocs page.

When a document is uploaded directly to a Case Folder, it is automatically associated with the corresponding Case and becomes available within that Case Folder.

Subject Folders

Subject Folders are system-generated subfolders within the Subjects System Folder. They provide access to documents associated with a specific Subject.

A Subject Folder is created only when at least one document is associated with the Subject. If no documents are associated with the Subject, its subfolder is not displayed under the Subjects System Folder.

Documents associated with the Subject through related records are also available within the corresponding Subject Folder, where applicable.

Subject Folder Naming

Subject subfolders are identified using the configured Subject Name only.

When the Subject Name used to identify the folder are updated, the updated details are automatically reflected in the corresponding Subject Folder in OWLdocs.

Subject Folder and Case Association

The location of documents associated with a Subject can change based on whether the Subject is associated with a Case.

• When a Subject is not associated with any Case and a document is uploaded or associated with the Subject, a Subject Folder is created under the Subjects System Folder.
  
• When the Subject is subsequently associated with a Case, the Subject Folder is removed from the Subjects System Folder, and the documents associated with the Subject are moved to the corresponding Case Folder.
  
• If the Subject is later detached from the Case, a new Subject Folder is created under the Subjects System Folder, and the documents associated with the Subject are moved back to the Subject Folder.
  

This ensures that documents associated with a Subject are organized according to the Subject's current Case association.

Accessing a Subject Folder

1. Click OWLdocs from the page header.
2. Select Subjects from the sidebar.
   
3. Locate and select the required Subject subfolder.
   
4. View the documents associated with the Subject and its related records.
   

Documents Associated with a Subject

Documents can be associated with a Subject directly or through related records. These documents are available in the corresponding Subject Folder when the Subject is not associated with a Case.

Documents can be associated with a Subject by:

• Uploading a document while creating or updating the Subject.
• Uploading or attaching a document from the Subject Dossier.
• Attaching a document to a related record associated with the Subject, such as a Form, Tip and Leads, Task, or Identity Record.

The Subject Folder can therefore contain documents that are:

• Directly associated with the Subject.
• Attached to a Form associated with the Subject.
• Attached to a Tip or Lead associated with the Subject.
• Attached to a Task associated with the Subject.
• Attached to an Identity Record associated with the Subject.

Uploading Documents Directly to a Subject Folder

Users can upload documents directly to a Subject Folder using the Upload File button available at the top-left of the OWLdocs page.

When a document is uploaded directly to a Subject Folder, it is automatically associated with the corresponding Subject and becomes available within that Subject Folder.

Creating Custom Subfolders

Users can create custom subfolders within a Subject Folder to organize documents based on their requirements.

To create a custom subfolder:

1. Select the required Subject Folder.
2. Click the Create button.
   

3. Enter the required subfolder details and create the subfolder.
   

   The custom subfolder is created within the selected Subject Folder.
   

Documents stored in custom subfolders remain associated with the parent Subject.

Transferring Documents Between Subject Folders and Subfolders

Documents can be transferred between a Subject Folder and its custom subfolders in both directions.

Transferring a Document

To transfer a document:

1. Select the required document and click on Action icon
2. Select the Transfer File option.
   
3. A pop-up window is displayed, allowing you to select the destination Subject Folder or Custom Subfolder.
   
4. Select the required destination and complete the transfer.
   

Transfer Rules

• Documents can be moved from a Subject Folder to a custom subfolder within the same Subject Folder.
• Documents can be moved from a custom subfolder back to its parent Subject Folder.
• Documents can be moved between custom subfolders within the same Subject Folder.
• Documents cannot be transferred directly from one Subject Folder to another Subject Folder. To transfer a document from one record to another, it must be Detached then Attached to the desired record. Once this is done, the document will show in that Subject Folder instead.

Note: When a document is moved to a custom subfolder within a Subject Folder, it remains associated with the parent Subject, regardless of the subfolder in which it is stored.

Orphan Record Documents

The Orphan Records folder is a system-generated folder within OWLdocs that contains documents associated with record types other than Cases and Subjects when those records are not associated with a Case or Subject.

This folder provides a centralized location for documents associated with standalone records that do not have a Case or Subject association.

Examples of records that can have associated documents include:

• Forms
• Tips
• Tasks
• Identity Records

When a record is associated with a Case or Subject, its attached documents are moved from the Orphan Records folder and displayed within the corresponding Case or Subject folder.

The Orphan Records folder therefore provides a centralized location for documents associated with standalone records that do not have a Case or Subject association.

Orphan Records Folder Restrictions

The following restrictions apply to the Orphan Records folder:

• Users cannot create folders or subfolders within the Orphan Records folder.
• Users cannot upload documents directly to the Orphan Records folder.
• Users cannot transfer documents to the Orphan Records folder.

Documents are added to the Orphan Records folder only when they are associated with eligible standalone records that are not linked to a Case or Subject.

Direct Uploads

The Direct Uploads folder is a system-generated folder within OWLdocs that contains documents uploaded directly to OWLdocs without being associated with a Case, Subject, or other record.

When a user uploads a document directly from OWLdocs, the document is stored in the Direct Uploads folder.

This folder provides a centralized location for documents that are not currently associated with a specific record.

Uploading Documents to Direct Uploads

To upload a document directly to the Direct Uploads folder:

1. Click the Upload File button in OWLdocs.
   
2. Select the required file.
3. Complete the upload.
   

The uploaded document is stored in the Direct Uploads folder and remains unassociated with any specific Case, Subject, or other record until it is subsequently associated.

Attaching a Direct Upload Document to a Record

Documents stored in the Direct Uploads folder can be associated with a record using the Attach to Record action.

To attach a document:

1. Select the required document.
2. Click the Action button.
   
3. Select Attach to Record.
4. A pop-up window is displayed, allowing you to select the required Record Type.
   
5. Select the record to which the document should be attached and complete the action.

Once attached, the document is associated with the selected record and is displayed in the corresponding location based on the record's association.

Direct Uploads Restrictions and File Transfer

• Users cannot create subfolders within the Direct Uploads folder.
• Documents stored in Direct Uploads can be transferred only to Custom Folders. 
• Documents in Direct Uploads cannot be transferred directly to System Folders, such as Cases, Subjects, or Orphan Records. 

Custom Folders

Custom Folders allow users to create and manage their own folder structure for organizing documents independently of the system-generated folder structure.

Users can:

• Create custom folders and subfolders.
• Upload files to custom folders and subfolders.
• View and manage documents stored within custom folders.
• Organize documents according to their specific requirements.

Custom Folders are managed separately from System Folders and provide flexibility for organizing documents that do not need to follow the system-defined record structure.

Documents uploaded to a Custom Folder are not associated with any record type by default. If a document is associated with a record, such as a Case or Subject, it is displayed under the corresponding Case or Subject folder within the System Folders.

Folder Deletion and Document Retention:
A Custom Folder can be deleted only when it has no documents associated with it. When a document is deleted from a Custom Folder, it is moved to the Trash Bin, and the Custom Folder is retained to preserve the document's original location in case the document needs to be restored. The folder can be deleted only after all associated deleted documents have been permanently deleted and no other documents remain associated with the folder.

File Actions

Users can perform various actions on uploaded files. For more information, refer to the OWLdocs Functionality.