Each association in Vantaca has a Documents section with folders that store information specific to the association. This section allows management companies to maintain structured document libraries with appropriate security permissions, ensuring proper access control for board members, homeowners, and staff while supporting efficient document workflow processes.

Note: Document management capabilities depend on user permissions. Contact your System Administrator to verify your permissions for adding, editing, or deleting documents and folders.

Contents

• Role Securities
• Accessing the Document Library
• Document Library Structure
  • Best Practices
• Security Settings
  • Security Hierarchy
• Managing Folders and Documents
  • Creating New Folders
  • Editing Existing Folders
  • Copying Folders Between Associations
  • Adding Documents
  • Deleting and Moving Documents
  • Renaming Files
• Model Associations and Documents
• FAQ

Role Securities

Accessing the Document Library

To access the Association Documents page:

1. Navigate to Association > Documents.
   The Documents page displays.
   
   
   
   Note: This association has Scout Vantaca's AI assistant enabled. For more information about Scout, see the "Scout" documentation.
2. To change the association, click the Association Name at the top of the page.
   The Association Search screen displays.
   
   
    
3. Find the association you're looking for and click Select to move between Associations.

Document Library Structure

The Documents page displays a hierarchical folder structure containing all documents for the selected association. Each folder can contain documents and subfolders, creating an organized document management system.

To navigate the document library:

• Click the arrows next to folders to expand and view contents
• Click on a document name to view the document
• Use the folder hierarchy to locate specific documents

Note: Word and Excel files automatically download instead of opening in the browser viewer. Audio files (.wav, .mp3, .ogg) and most video files (.mov) also download automatically to allow playback with your device's media applications. MP4 video files play directly in the browser.

Association Specific Links

Your association-specific link is your portal URL followed by a unique series of characters. For example: http://portal.'companydomain'.com/?c=XXXX

Note: The "XXXX" characters are replaced with the association code of your association and it is linked to a folder with the security setting of Everyone. Without this association code added, the user is prompted to log in. After you navigate to your association-specific site, click Documents in the menu to view the folders.

This is a great option for management companies who may want to avoid having to work with realtors or closing agents as much, by making select information available to them for free through the portal. 

Best Practices

Follow these best practices to ensure efficient document management and maintain proper access control across your association portfolio.

Portal Functionality:

• ARC Request Portal: Requires forms in Documents > Forms > ARC.
• Homeowner Portal: Displays folders based on security settings.
• Board Portal: Shows appropriate documents based on board member permissions.

Document Organization

Establish a clearly defined document structure for all associations to:

• Simplify training for new employees
• Benefit users operating in multiple portfolios
• Ensure consistent document management across all associations
• Improve efficiency for Customer Service and After Hours employees

Security Management

• Review security settings regularly to ensure appropriate access levels
• Maintain consistent security hierarchies within folder structures
• Avoid setting subfolders to lower permission levels than parent folders
• Document the security policies for your organization

File Management

• Use descriptive file names before uploading. You can also rename files after upload using right-click > Rename Document.
  Notes:
  • When naming folders or files, do not use a slash '/' in the name, this character is used to determine file paths. For example, name a file or folder "12-25-2022" rather than "12/25/2022".
  • File names can be up to 200 characters long. If a file name exceeds this limit, the system will preserve the file extension and truncate the base filename to ensure proper file handling.
• Organize documents logically within appropriate folders
• Regularly review and clean up outdated documents
• Maintain backup copies of critical documents

Model Association Usage

• Create comprehensive model associations for different association types
• Include all standard documents and folders in models
• Update model associations when adding new standard documents
• Use models to ensure consistency across new associations

Back to Top

Security Settings

Security settings control who can access folders and their contents. Security levels follow a pyramid structure where users can view documents at their security level and below.

To view the security of an existing folder or subfolder, right-click the name of the folder, and select Edit Folder. The Folder Security field displays the level of security and therefore, who can view the contents of the folder:

• Everyone: Allows access without login requirements. Documents are visible to all portal users at the association-specific portal link.
• Homeowners: Homeowners must log in to the portal to view these folders. 
• Board Only: Restricts access to designated board members only. To review a list of Board Members, navigate to Association > Board/Committee and select the Board/Committee tab. For more information about adding Board members, see the "How to Add Board and Committee Members" article.
• Staff: Hides documents from the association web portal. Only management company staff can access these documents.

Security Hierarchy

Security levels work in a hierarchical structure:

• Staff: Can view Staff, Board Only, Homeowners, and Everyone documents.
• Board Members: Can view Board Only, Homeowners, and Everyone documents.
• Homeowners: Can view Homeowners and Everyone documents.
• Everyone: Can view only Everyone documents.

Important: Subfolders can have different security levels than their parent folders. However, subfolders should not have lower permission levels than their parent folders to maintain proper access control.

Managing Folders and Documents

You can create, edit, and copy folders and add or remove documents from your document library.

Creating New Folders

To create a new folder:

1. Right-click the parent folder that will contain the new subfolder and select New Folder.
   
   
    
2. Enter the Folder Name.
   Notes:
   • When naming folders or files, do not use a slash '/' in the name, this character is used to determine file paths. For example, name a file or folder "12-25-2022" rather than "12/25/2022".
   • File names can be up to 200 characters long. If a file name exceeds this limit, the system will preserve the file extension and truncate the base filename to ensure proper file handling.
3. Select the appropriate Folder Security level. See the previous Document Security Settings section for more information. 
   Note: The AI Folder Security and Document Category fields are for use with Scout Vantaca's AI assistant. For more information, see the "Scout" documentation.
4. Click Update to create the folder.

Editing Existing Folders

You can update the folder name or security settings, but some folders have hard-coded file paths in Vantaca, which means changing the name or location of the folder can prevent information from being accessible.

Do not change the name and location of the folder in the following instances:

• Documents > Forms > ARC: If this file path is altered or you place your ARC application form in a different folder, it will not show on the ARC Request portal page. 
• Documents > Invoice Images: If the Invoice Images folder is renamed, the paid invoices at the end of a fiscal period will not flow into that folder, and Vantaca will instead create a new folder with the name Invoice Images.
• Documents > Bank Statements: If this folder is renamed or moved under a different folder, the bank statements received through bank integrations will not flow to that new folder, but Vantaca will create a new folder labeled Bank Statements and place those statements there.

To edit folder information:

1. Right-click the folder name and select Edit Folder.
2. Update the folder name or security settings as needed.
   Notes:
   • When naming folders or files, do not use a slash '/' in the name, this character is used to determine file paths. For example, name a file or folder "12-25-2022" rather than "12/25/2022".
   • File names can be up to 200 characters long. If a file name exceeds this limit, the system will preserve the file extension and truncate the base filename to ensure proper file handling.
3. Click Update to save changes.

Copying Folders Between Associations

You can copy folders between associations:

1.  Right-click the selected folder and select Copy Folder.
   The Copy Folder screen displays.
   
   
   
2. To copy the folder and the files within it, select Include Files.
3. Select an option from the Append/Replace Documents/Folders dropdown:
   • Append: Creates a duplicate of the selected folder in the destination association if it does not exist, or will add the selected contents to the existing folder if one is available. Both folders will exist independently.
   • Replace: Deletes any folder in the destination association with the same name and replaces it with the selected folder (and contents if applicable).
     Important: The Replace action cannot be undone. 
4. Select the associations that you want to copy the folder to.
5. Click Select.

Back to Top

Adding Documents

Keep in mind the following upload requirements when adding documents:

• File size limit: 120 MB per file.
• Multiple uploads: You can upload multiple files simultaneously.
• File types: Vantaca supports many file formats including PDF, Word, Excel, images, and more.
• File naming: Documents retain their original file names, so ensure files are clearly named before uploading. When naming files, do not use a slash '/' in the name, this character is used to determine file paths. For example, name a file or folder "12-25-2022" rather than "12/25/2022". File names can be up to 200 characters long. If a file name exceeds this limit, the system will preserve the file extension and truncate the base filename to ensure proper file handling.

To add new documents to a folder:

1. Right-click the target folder and select New Document.
2. In the File Upload window, either:
   • Drag and drop files directly into the window.
   • Click Select File and choose files from your computer.
3. Click Upload to add the files to the folder.

Deleting and Moving Documents

To delete a file, click the "X" next to the file name to delete it. 

To move a file to a different folder, you must delete the file and re-upload it to the desired folder. You cannot move a file between folders. 

Renaming Files

You can rename individual files in Association Documents using the right-click context menu. This requires the Association > Documents > Rename permission.

To rename a file:

1. Right-click the file you want to rename and select Rename Document.
2. Enter the new file name. 
   File extensions are preserved automatically.
3. Click Update.

Validation rules: File names must be unique within the same folder. Allowed characters are letters, spaces, numbers, and the following special characters: _ - . + $

Action Type Warning: If a folder or file is referenced in an Action Type step, a warning lists the affected Action Types and Steps before the rename is confirmed. Review the warning carefully before proceeding, as renaming the file or folder may affect document generation for those steps.

Model Associations and Documents

Model associations allow you to create standardized document structures that automatically copy to new associations.

To set up model association folders:

1. Add folders to your Model Association and include the documents that you want to copy to new associations. For example, management company disclosures or documents you want all associations to have.
2. Set appropriate security levels for each folder.
3. Create a new association that follows this model and the folders (and their contents) automatically copy from the model to the new association.

Note: Model association documents do not automatically add to existing associations and require manual copying via Copy Folder > Include Files.

Additional Reference: 

FAQ

Q: Why are invoice images missing from the Invoice Images folder for the current month?

A: Invoice images are automatically added to the folder only after the fiscal period for that month has been closed. You can close the fiscal period in two ways: run your Financial Delivery action type and step through the Close Fiscal Period step, or manually update the Last Fiscal Period setting in Association Settings > Current Period > Last Fiscal Period to the end of the month.

Q: How can I change the Folder Security setting for a particular folder across all associations?

A: This cannot be changed directly within Vantaca. If you need to update the Folder Security setting for a folder across multiple associations (mass change), please contact Vantaca Support for assistance.
 

Q: Why can't homeowners see a documents folder on the portal even though it has the correct Folder Security setting of "Homeowners"?

A: This occurs when a subfolder within the main folder has an incorrect Folder Security setting.

Example:

• Bank Statements folder: Folder Security set to Homeowners ✓
• Yearly subfolder: Folder Security set to Homeowners ✓
• Monthly subfolder: Folder Security set to Boards Only ✗

Even though the main folder and yearly subfolder are configured correctly, the monthly subfolder's incorrect setting prevents homeowners from accessing it.

To fix this:

1. Right-click the monthly subfolder
2. Select Edit Folder
3. Change Folder Security to Homeowners
4. Click Update

Once the subfolder has the proper Folder Security setting, homeowners will be able to view it on the portal as intended.

Q: How can I see when a folder was created or a document was added to a folder?

A: Go to Association > Activity Notes to view this information. Both folder creation and document uploads are logged with the activity title Documents - New. To narrow results, enter the folder name or document name in the Comment/Note search field.

Q: I added incorrect bank statements to the document folder and my financial package is showing incorrect information. How do I fix this?

A: To remove incorrect bank statements:

1. Go to Association > Documents for the association
2. Locate the Bank Statements folder and click the caret to the left to expand yearly subfolders
3. Click the caret to the left of the appropriate year to expand monthly subfolders
4. Click the caret to the left of the appropriate month to view its contents
5. Click on each file name to review the attachments
6. Click the X next to the incorrect file name to delete it
7. Create a new financials action item

Once the incorrect bank statements are deleted and financials are run again, the financial package will reflect the correct information.
 

Q: Why doesn't my document appear in the folder immediately after I add it?

A: This occurs when you close the File Upload window using the X button instead of the ⊘ Close button after uploading your document.

To ensure your document appears immediately in the folder:

1. Right-click the folder and select New Document
2. Click Select files... and choose your document
3. Click Upload
4. Wait for the upload to complete (the window will display "Done")
5. Click the ⊘ Close button to close the window—do not use the X button

Closing the window with the ⊘ Close button ensures your document displays in the folder immediately without needing to navigate away from the Association > Documents screen and return.

Q: Why do I see a different folder name than what I expected in the Documents section?

A: Association Document folder names in Vantaca are client-specific and can be customized by each management company to fit their needs. If you notice a folder name has changed or doesn't match what you're used to seeing, check with your teams Super Users.