Log changes

[BruceM]

I have been doing some investigating into keeping track of changes to Word
documents. I know that Word has a change tracking feature, and that there
is a Versions feature that will keep track of the last ten versions, but
from what I hear the file can quickly become bloated. Even so, maybe I
could protect documents with a change password, but it seems that once I
have opened the file I can delete a version even if changes to the document
are protected. We need to address the security of electronic documents, so
will need a system that can be audited. In other words, if somebody makes a
change we need to know who made it, what they changed, and when they changed
it. This information should be protected from changes.
I believe it would be possible through the use of macros and a log file (or
something of the sort) to keep track of such things, but implementing and
maintaining that is probably more than I want to add to my current
responsibilities.
I am probably looking for a third-party system, but my search so far has led
me down a bewildering series of paths and through a maze of jargon. I don't
know where to begin. I started looking at an Open Source version of
Knowledge Tree Document Management System, but could not get it to work, and
in any case it seems to be more than we need. I could try running the
install again, but before I put more time into that I would be very
interested in hearing from folks with experience at this sort of thing.

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi Bruce

The Versions feature leads to large files with great complexity and there
are reports of that leading to problems with the files corrupting. For what
it's worth, Microsoft has removed the Versions feature from Word 2007.

Word has a track changes feature, but it's probably not what you want for
this purpose (for more info see
How does Track Changes in Microsoft Word work?
http://www.ShaunaKelly.com/word/trackchanges/HowTrackChangesWorks.html

I suppose you could write a document management system in VBA, but that in
itself is probably not secure enough for your purposes. It would be an
enormous undertaking, and it would be re-inventing wheels that are already
in motion.

There are many document management systems on the market. None are cheap or
straight-forward to use. You'll need an IT Pro to set it up and probably to
run it.

My limited experience suggests that they all work in much the same way: they
store either the document or a link to the document in a database (eg, SQL
Server). They provide a user interface that traps all file operations ( File

Open, File > Save etc) so that the user is directed to the database of

documents. They provide some kind of document-level security (eg if I create
a document I can tell the system that Bill may read it, that Jules may print
it, but that no-one may change it.) They rely on the individual user to
identify when a new 'version' is created.

Names to look for (not recommendations - just names I know) are Documentum,
Hummingbird (which I think is the former DocsOpen), Trim. The later versions
of Microsoft Windows Sharepoint Services have some document management
capacity, and that's free with Windows Server 2003.

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word

 

[BruceM]

Shauna,

Thanks for your reply. I bookmarked your web site some time ago, and have
often directed people there to learn about Styles, which I use extensively.
I also make good use of Track Changes for document revisions, but you are
correct that it is not quite what I need. I have never quite found a use
for Versions, but in any case it doesn't seem all that secure in that it
seems possible to delete versions at will. I am becoming somewhat
proficient with VBA in Access, but would need to embark on a steep learning
curve to learn VBA for Word. If an appropriate level of security is even
possible by that route the cost in time would almost certainly not improve
on the cost of third-party software.
Thanks for the software names you mentioned. I will check with corporate IT
about any input they have on the matter, but frankly do not expect much from
that route. Our local part-time IT person manages the network well enough,
but is not an applications person. I'm probably on my own here, which is
why I'm casting about for anything that may help get me started. With a few
names I can not only research the software, but can begin to search for
newsgroup discussions.
The little research I have managed so far has been rather bewildering, but
from what I have been able to glean your description of a database agrees
with what I have read.
Thanks for turning your time to my question, and for all that you have done
through your web site and postings to demystify some of Word's best and most
useful features.

 

[Shauna Kelly]

Hi Bruce

Glad I could help.

Shauna

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word