SP Project and Document Manager

While other plugins focused on team-based collaboration use milestones and task lists, SP Project and Document Manager focuses on easy-to-use file uploading and file sharing services. 

This specialized plugin makes uploading documents clearer and more organized than the standard file upload feature of WordPress. In this article, we will discuss the features of the SP Project and Document Manager plugin, and explore a scenario where such a plugin can be used. 

Topics Include:

• Features
  • Documents
  • Folders
  • User Files/Uploader
  • Settings
  • Recycle Bin
• Scenario: Infographic Collaboration

It is important to note that this plugin is not meant for the storage of website documents. Documents uploaded to this plugin will not be accessible in the same way as files uploaded to the WordPress Media Library. This plugin is meant for back-end collaboration and document sharing, not direct publication on live web pages. 

Features

Documents

One of the key features of the SP Project and Document Manager plugin is the ability to upload and store documents. These documents can be PDFs, JPGs, TXT files, or any file type used by common word processors such as .doc, and .docx. To access the documents that you’ve uploaded, navigate to Documents > Documents in the WordPress Dashboard.

Folders

SP Project and Document Manager allows you to create folders that can be used for additional organization of uploaded documents. By creating clearly-labeled folders you can better keep track of where to find uploaded documents. 

User Files/Uploader

To help organize your uploaded documents, SP Project and Document Manager provides a user-specific file organizer and file uploader. In addition to allowing you to upload documents, the interface allows you to easily see which files were uploaded by specific users. If you want to review which files were uploaded by a specific user, select their name from the drop-down menu. 

Settings

To fine-tune your document uploading and sharing, you can modify one of the many settings available in the SP Project and Document Manager plugin:

Company Name

This setting allows you to specify a custom company name to assist with organization and tracking. 

File Name Format

SP Project and Document Manager also provides support for custom file name formats. For example, if you upload a document labeled NewHeaderImage.JPG and want to include the current date in the file name you can use the following short-hand codes:

• %d – current day
• %m – current month
• %y – current year

If you want to automatically append the file name with the current day, you can input %d into the Filename Format section. Any files uploaded to the plugin will include the current day in the file name. 

Disable User Uploads

This setting prevents users from uploading their own files to the plugin. This is useful in contexts where you only need to provide documents to a group of users. If your team does not typically share documents, disabling user uploads can enhance your website’s security by restricting who can upload files to your account. If you enable this feature, the WordPress site administrator will be the only one that can upload files to the plugin.  

Disable User Deletions

This setting prevents users from deleting uploaded documents, which is useful for avoiding accidental deletion of important files. If you have a large team working out of the same WordPress site this can reduce the possibility of error and data loss. It’s important to note that you will still be responsible for managing your uploaded documents, including the deletion of documents that are no longer needed. Allowing too many files to accumulate can potentially impact the overall performance and speed of your site. 

Custom Thank You and Deletion Messages

This setting allows you to set customized text messages that display when a certain action is completed. The two contexts are successfully uploading a file and successfully deleting a file. These custom messages are effective at providing users with informative feedback regarding their actions. With a clear thank you or deletion message, your users will know that they completed the task successfully.

Recycle Bin

If you need to delete an uploaded file you can use the Recycle Bin feature. Similar to the Recycle Bin on a desktop computer, this recycle bin can be used to permanently delete files or restore temporarily deleted files. If a file is deleted in error, don’t worry, it can be recovered using the Recycle Bin.  

Scenario: Infographic Collaboration

To help provide concrete examples of the SP Project and Document Manager plugin, we will walk through a scenario. In this scenario, we’ve been tasked with receiving feedback from the team regarding a new infographic to be displayed on a key page. 

Uploading a File

To allow our team to see the infographic we’ve created, we will need to upload it to the folder labeled New Infographics. 

1. To access the file uploader, navigate to Documents > User Files/Uploader
2. On the next page, select your username from the drop-down menu
3. After selecting your user, click the Add File button to open the upload prompt.
4. With the upload prompt open, click Browse to browse your local computer to find the file you wish to upload. 
5. With the file selected, input a file name and description if you’d like, then click Upload to complete the process. 
6. The document should now be visible on the homepage of the Documents section.

Now that the file has been uploaded and is accessible to the other WordPress users, they can review the Infographic and provide any necessary feedback. This same process can be repeated as many times as necessary to receive iterative feedback and facilitate further collaboration. Please note that since you cannot provide feedback directly within the plugin, the uploader functions more as a WordPress-specific Google Drive.

SP Project and Document Manager is a powerful tool for file management and collaboration that integrates seamlessly with the WordPress dashboard. Instead of managing files via FTP or back-end control panel, manage your documents directly with this easy-to-use WordPress plugin. Since this plugin specializes in document management, you may want to look at other plugins such as WP Project Manager for more fine-grained control over your project management workflows.