Addovation Share for Office - User Guide

Last Updated: 2025-12-26

User Authentication and Login/Logout

  • Addovation Share for MS Office Add-in is used through the word, excel and PowerPoint documents. To begin using Share, follow these simple steps:

  • Start by selecting the document you wish to synchronize with IFS.

  • Locate the Share icon on the document toolbar.

In Word:

In Excel:

In PowerPoint:

  • If it is not visible, access it via the Apps icon on the toolbar. A list of available apps will appear. Choose Share from the list.

  • Then a splash screen appears on the right side of the document.

  • The Microsoft Authenticator window then opens, allowing the user to:

    • Enter their username and password, or

    • Sign in using Addovation SSO or Skyforce SSO by selecting an account.

  • Once signed in, the user gains access to the landing page. To log out of the application, the user can click the logout icon provided at the top right corner of the add-in.

Note

The flow, functionality, and user interface are the same across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Therefore, screenshots and examples shown in this guide apply to all three applications.

Landing Page

  • The landing page provides the following three options:

    1. Check In – Check in a document to IFS.
    2. Templates – Search for and create documents using templates.
    3. Search – Search for existing documents.

  • Users can begin any of these actions by clicking the respective button.

  • The landing page also includes a Document Info section at the bottom. The details shown here vary based on the document’s status. More information will follow in the next sections.

  • The bottom bar of the add-in contains the Addovation logo, a Help icon, and an Information icon.

  • Clicking the Help icon directs the user to the Addovation Share documentation site.

  • Clicking the Information icon displays a tooltip showing the application version, connected environment, and the logged-in user.

Check in Documents

  • The check-in process varies depending on the document’s current status. There are three possible flows:

    1. A blank or new document that does not yet have an IFS Document Number
    2. A document that has an IFS Document Number and is already checked in
    3. A document that has an IFS Document Number and is currently checked out

Check in a blank or new document without an IFS Document Number

  • When working with a new document that has not yet been saved in IFS Cloud, the Document Information section shows the message This document has not been saved in IFS Cloud.

  • To check in this type of document, the user can select Check in on the landing page.

  • This action starts the check-in process and takes the user to the screen where the document can be saved into IFS Cloud.

  • Two tabs are available on the next screen: New Document and New Revision. The New Document tab is selected by default.

Check-in as a New Document

  • Document Title is automatically identified and displayed at the top of the pane. The user has the option to edit this title if needed.

Select Class & Format

  • The next step of the check-in process is to select the Class and Format.

  • The Class can be selected using the drop-down menu and the class field is required field for the check-in process. Create button is disabled until the class is selected.

  • The Format can be selected using the drop-down menu and format values are listed based on the selected class. The Format drop down remains disable until a class is selected. The document can be checked-in without a format. However, in some situations, the format is required.

  • If the format is required for the selected class, a message stating Format is required will be displayed below the field, and the Create button will remain disabled.

Create View Copy

  • The Create View Copy checkbox behaves differently depending on the document class.

  • For some classes, it is automatically selected and cannot be deselected.

  • For other classes, it is initially disabled but can be enabled if needed.

  • When this option is selected, a PDF version of the document is created and stored in IFS as a view copy for the new document revision.
Select Object Connection(s)
  • An expandable section is provided for selecting Object Connections when checking in a document.

  • When expanded, there will be three tabs available as Selected, Favorites and Search.

    1. Favorites: Displays the object connections marked as favorites in the IFS.
    2. Selected: The object connections that have been selected will appear in this tab and can be managed.
    3. Search: Provides the advanced search functionality.

Favorites

  • Once the Object Connection(s) section is expanded, user Favorites object connection will be selected by default. User favorites object connections are the once user selected as favorites in Document Object Connections in IFS.

  • The user has the option to add the object connections by clicking on the + icon located in the right corner of the connection from the Favorites tab. After the connection is added, it will be removed from the Favorites tab.

Selected

  • Objects added from the Favorites and Search tabs will be moved to the Selected tab. Upon adding an object, a red dot will appear next to the Selected tab label, indicating a new addition.

  • When the Selected tab is opened, the red dot will disappear. The selected objects will be listed within the Selected tab.

  • User has the option to remove the selected connections by clicking on the x icon located in the left corner. Removed connections will be relocated to the Favorites tab section.

Search

  • The Search tab facilitates users in finding object connections. To search for an object connection, users may first select an Object Type from the dropdown menu.

  • Upon selecting the Object Type, users should click the Search button to initiate the search process. The system will then search for object connections corresponding to the selected Object Type.

  • Selecting the Search option opens the Advance Search window, providing users with additional filter capabilities.

  • In Advance Search window, only the primary filter options will be displayed by default.

  • Clicking on the See More option loads additional search options and the additional search options can be hidden again by clicking on See Less if required.

  • The system will display 25 default records when the Advanced Search window initially opens.

  • Users can input values into the provided fields and click the Search button to initiate the search.

  • The system will load a list of search results based on the entered criteria into a grid. Users can select one or more search results by checking the checkbox in the first column next to each record.

  • The selected objects will be moved to selected tab, and the red dot notification will appear.

  • If no matching results are found for the entered filter criteria, an error message will prompt, stating that no results were found.

  • After selecting the required objects, users can proceed by selecting the Select button, which will only be enabled if any objects were selected from the search results.

  • The selected objects will be moved to Selected tab, and the red dot notification will be appeared.

  • Users have the option to close the window using the Cancel button if needed.

Note

The document can be checked-in without an object connection. However, in some situations, the object connection is required. If the object connection is required, a message will be displayed inside the object connection section stating "Object Connection(s) required" and the Check-in button will remain disabled until an object is selected.

Release Document(s)

  • To release the document during check-in, users must select the Release Document(s) checkbox.

  • It is possible to proceed with check-in without selecting the Release Document(s) checkbox. If the checkbox is not selected, the document will be checked into IFS without being released.

Finish Check-In

  • After all required details are entered, selecting Check In begins the check-in process.

  • The document is then checked into IFS, and the user is redirected to the Document Info interface.

  • At the top of the screen, the newly assigned IFS Document Number appears as a clickable link.

  • Selecting this link opens the Document Revision page in IFS, where users can view all information related to the newly created document revision.

  • A confirmation message, Document checked in successfully, is displayed, followed by a prompt stating You should close the document now.

  • Below the confirmation message, the Document Info section becomes available.

  • It displays key details including Document Status, Document Title, Class – Class Description, and Format – Format Description.

  • The Object Connection section can also be expanded, allowing users to add new object connections or remove existing ones, even after the check-in process is complete.

  • The Release Document checkbox remains enabled, giving users the option to release the document after it has been checked in.

  • If the user makes any changes to the Object Connections section or updates the Release Document status, the Save and Cancel options will appear. The user can then save these configurations or discard the changes for the current document revision.

Check-in as a New Revision

  • If the user selects to check in the document as a New Revision instead of a New Document from the tab selection, they will be directed to the following screen.

Basic Details

  • In this screen, only the Document dropdown is enabled by default. Users can search this dropdown for documents that are already checked into IFS.

  • The user can then select a document from the list to check in the current document as a new revision of the selected document.

  • Once a document is selected, the fields Title, Latest Revision, New Revision, and Revision Text are populated automatically based on the selected document.

  • The New Revision and Revision Text fields can be edited if needed.

  • The Create View Copy option may be selected or deselected depending on the selected document, but it is disabled for editing.

  • The Release Document option can be selected according to the user’s requirement.

Finish Check-In

  • Finally, the document can be checked in as a new revision of the selected document by clicking the Check In button.

  • As in the previous scenario, the document is then checked into IFS, and the user is redirected to the Document Info interface.

  • The IFS Document Number is displayed as a clickable link, and a confirmation message along with the document information appears, just as before.

  • The Object Connection section and Release Document option remain editable, allowing the user to make changes and save them even after the document has been checked in.

Check in a document that has an IFS Document Number and is already checked in

  • If a user searches for an existing IFS document that is not currently checked out and chooses to view it, edit, and check it in, the Document Info section on the landing page will display the document’s checked-in status, title, class and class description, and format and format description.

  • The section will also include the Object Connections area.

  • When the Object Connections section is expanded, it will show the connected objects but remain read-only and cannot be edited.

  • The user should then select the Check In option on the landing page to initiate the check-in process.

  • Two tabs are available on the next screen: New Document and New Revision. The New Document tab is selected by default.

Check-in as a New Document

  • After making changes to the document, the user can proceed to check it in as a new document using this flow.

Basic Details

  • The Document Title is automatically detected and displayed at the top of the pane. The user may edit this title if needed.

  • Class and Format are also auto filled based on the Document Title but can be modified by the user.

  • The Create View Copy option may be preselected or disabled depending on the chosen class. If the user changes the class or format, the Create View Copy behavior will update accordingly, as previously described.

  • The Object Connections section can be expanded and is enabled for interaction.

  • The Selected, Favorites, and Search tabs function in the same way as previously explained.

  • The Release Document option can be selected according to the user’s requirement.

Finish Check-In

  • Finally, the document can be checked in as a new document by clicking the Check In button.

  • As in the previous scenario, the document is then checked into IFS, and the user is redirected to the Document Info interface.

  • The IFS Document Number is displayed as a clickable link, and a confirmation message along with the document information appears, just as before.

  • The Object Connection section and Release Document option remain editable, allowing the user to make changes and save them even after the document has been checked in.

Check-in as a New Revision

  • After editing the document, if the user chooses to check it in as a New Revision, they will be taken to the following screen.

Basic Details

  • Similar to the previously described Check-In as a New Revision flow, the Document dropdown is enabled by default.

  • Users can search this dropdown for documents that are already checked into IFS and choose to check in the current document as a new revision of the selected document.

  • Once a document is selected, all remaining fields and options function the same way as in the previously described Check-In as a New Revision flow, including the behavior of the Title and Revision fields, the Create View Copy option, and the Release Document option.

Finish Check-In

  • The final steps in this flow are the same as those described in the previous Check-In as a New Revision process.

  • After clicking Check In, the document is checked into IFS and the user is redirected to the Document Info interface.

  • The IFS Document Number appears as a clickable link along with a confirmation message, and both the Object Connections section and the Release Document option remain editable after check-in.

Check-in a document that has an IFS Document Number and is currently checked out

  • When you check out a document for editing and open the add-in to check it back in under the same revision, the landing page will look slightly different from previous flows.

  • The Check In button will be shown as Check-in Existing, since the document is already checked out by the user.

  • The Document Info section will display the document’s checked-out status, title, class with its description, and format with its description.

  • The Object Connections area will be available on the landing page.

  • When expanded, the Object Connections section becomes editable directly from the landing page.

  • The user can add new object connections or remove existing ones from here.

  • Clicking Check-in Existing will check the document back into IFS under the same revision number.

  • The user will then be redirected directly to the Document Info screen without any intermediate steps.

  • This screen behaves the same as in the previous flows: a confirmation message is shown, the IFS Document Number appears as a clickable link, and both the Object Connections section and the Release Document option remain editable after check-in.

Templates

  • To search for and create documents using templates, the user can click on the Templates option on the landing page.

  • This will navigate the user to a new screen where templates can be searched and related actions can be performed.

List of Templates

  • The screen includes a language selection dropdown positioned at the top, allowing the user to select a preferred language for searching templates. English is selected by default.

  • Below the dropdown, a search bar is provided where the user can enter a Class, Format, or Format Description to search for templates.

  • The list will automatically filter based on the entered criteria. Once the user starts typing, a Clear option will appear, allowing the user to remove the search text.

  • Templates are displayed below the search bar, grouped by class.

  • Each class section can be expanded or collapsed by the user. When expanded, the list of templates under that class will be shown.

  • Each template entry will display the following information:

    • File type icon
    • Format and Format Description
    • Option to view more details (information icon).

  • When the user hovers over the file type icon, a tooltip appears showing additional details about the template.

  • Clicking the information icon will open a detail pop-up showing more information about the selected template. The following details will be displayed in the pop-up:

    • Document Number
    • Class/ Class Description
    • Format/ Format Description
    • Title

  • When the user clicks on a record, it becomes highlighted, and the Download button is enabled. Only one template can be downloaded at a time.

  • Once a template is selected and the Download button is clicked, a pop-up window will appear displaying the Document Title and two available options.

  • Available options in the pop-up are as below.

    1. Download to Local: Selecting this option saves the template to the user’s computer. The user can then open it and create a new document based on the template.

    2. Open in OneDrive: Selecting this option opens the template directly in OneDrive for immediate use.

  • In either case, the user can create their own document using the template and check it back into IFS using the add-in if needed.

  • The user can close this window by clicking the Cancel button.

Searching

  • This feature allows users to search for documents in IFS Cloud. To begin, the user can click on the Search option on the landing page.

  • Selecting Search will navigate the user to a new screen where basic search functionality is available.

  • At the top of the screen, a search field will be displayed along with two buttons: More and Search.

  • The small button with the Word icon next to the search field filters the search results by file type.

  • By default, it is set to Word Documents Only.

  • Clicking the button switches it to Any Documents, allowing all document types (not just Word files) to appear in the search results.

  • At the bottom of the screen, two additional buttons are available: Back and Edit.

  • The functions of the Search, More, and Edit buttons will be described in the following sections.

  • Clicking the Back button will return the user to the Share Add-in home page.

  • Below these controls, a list of up to 25 documents is displayed, sorted by the last action. Each document shows the following details:

    • A relevant file type icon
    • Document Number with link to IFS Document Revision page
    • Title
    • Class/Format
    • A three-dots icon to access additional actions

  • When the add-in window is resized to a smaller width, the Class/Format column will be hidden to optimize space.

  • Only one document can be selected at a time. Once selected, the document is highlighted, and the Edit option becomes available.

  • When the user clicks the three dots button next to a document (right corner of the record), a menu will appear with the following options:

    • Check In New Revision
    • Check Out
    • Details
    • View

  • If the user selects Details option from the menu, a pop-up window will appear displaying the following document information:

    • Title
    • Document Class ID and Description
    • Document Format ID and Description
    • State
    • Last Modified Details

  • If the user selects Check In New Revision from the options menu, a new revision of the document is created. The existing document in the list is replaced with this new revision, while the previous revision remains accessible in IFS if required. This option is disabled for documents that are currently checked out.

  • If the user selects Check-Out, the document will be checked out from IFS. Once checked out, the menu label will change to Undo Check-Out, allowing the user to revert the action if needed.

  • The Check-Out option is only available for preliminary documents that are not already checked out.

  • If the user selects View, the document will be downloaded without being checked out from IFS and automatically opened in the respective application (Word/Excel/PowerPoint).

  • If a view copy exists for the document, the PDF version of the view copy will be downloaded instead.

Search Documents

  • The user can enter search criteria in the search field (basic search) and initiate the search by clicking the Search button.

    • Up to 25 matching records will be displayed, sorted by the last action.
    • The user can clear the search criteria by clicking the x icon inside the search field. This action will reset the document list to its default view.

Edit Documents

  • The Edit button remains disabled until a document is selected.

  • When clicked, the document is checked out from IFS, downloaded, and automatically opened in the respective application (Word/Excel/PowerPoint). If the user is editing for the first time, a pop-up will appear asking whether they want to open the document and if the choice should be remembered for that application.

  • This option is only available for preliminary documents that are not already checked out.

Advanced Search

  • when the user clicks the More button, the Advanced Search window will open with additional filter options.

  • The file type filter is also available in the Advanced Search window, located next to the search bar.

  • Release Level: A dropdown with the following options: All, Latest (default), and Latest Released.

  • Date Range: Two date pickers for Start Date and End Date, with the default range set to the last 90 days

  • Checkboxes:

    • Any Date
    • I'm Involved

  • By default, the list displays records that match the filters selected by default (Release Level: Latest, Date Range: Last 90 Days), with pagination applied.

Search Behavior

  • The Search button remains enabled, allowing the user to run a search at any time by entering search criteria in the search field and adjusting filters as needed.

  • The matching search results are displayed with pagination. The user can clear the search by clicking the x icon in the search field.

  • Each record in the result set displays the following details:

    • A relevant file type icon
    • Document Number with link to IFS Document Revision page
    • Title
    • Class/Format
    • Last Action
    • A three-dots icon to access additional menu options

  • Options in the menu function the same as explained under basic search.

  • Edit and View options are also available as buttons at the bottom of the window for the user’s convenience.

  • The Advanced Search window can be closed by clicking the x in the top-right corner.