This module is in BETA right now and open to only a few events for live testing. We’re 99.99999% sure it is ok and ready for production, but our beta-testers are offering feedback from real world use that we would really like a chance to incorporate into the tools before general release. However, if you really, really, really want to open this up for your event AND you are willing to live with a few undiscovered bugs AND you are willing to give feedback after your event concludes, holler to helpdesk@tourneycentral.com and ask. We may be a bit overwhelmed going into the fall season with new software, but we will consider your request seriously. Thanks!
This will be repeated a few times in this document, because we are serious:
Uploaded documents WILL NOT BE RETAINED after your event
Your Admin Modules include tools to manage team document uploads for registration. Before attempting to use these tools, you should first:
- Make sure you have given your teams access to the forms you need completed and returned
- Defined the forms you need returned so they appear on the drop down list in the Document Center
- Provided the teams DETAILED and COMPLETE instructions on what you expect and when
- Set up an emergency email address just for registration documents in the event the team can’t or won’t figure out the document center (yes, still are people out there scared of technology but comfortable with email)
- Turned on the Document Center correctly
- TEST, TEST, TEST
99.99% of all problems with uploading documents can be solved with clear and correct expectations and instructions. They don’t need to be lengthy; just address the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and HOW clearly and briefly. The other 0.01% of the problems are generally a) the file is too big b) the file is the wrong format c) the file is corrupt. Fortunately, we’ve provided a Troubleshooting Guide for the team (and one for you.)
Let’s get started:
We will assume you have already made your forms available to teams that have been accepted and confirmed. Teams who have not been accepted will not be able to submit documents, but teams that have not yet confirmed may… assuming you have given them access to the registration forms.
Opening your Document Center for Uploads
- Define the document types you want in the Team Applications Module>Set up Document Uploads>GO! Add the document type to the top line and click Add. To make changes to existing documents, first delete any you no longer need, then edit those that need editing and Save Changes
- Go to your Website Maint Module>Variables>Go!
- If your event is using SportsForms to manage your documents, you should toggle Use SportsForms to On and Save Changes. While TourneyCentral and SportsForms are not integrated, we have established some language that guides teams who may have trouble getting your broadcast emails to the right place. Setting the SportsForms to On will override any of the other settings below.
- To open your Document Center, make sure your SportsForms option is set to Off, your Advance Registration is Yes and Lock Reg Documents Uploads is Unlocked. Save Changes
- Go to an accepted team, log into their Team Aplication using their TeamID number to make sure the Upload Documents link appears on their Application.
That’s it. You are now ready to accept Registration Document Uploads.
Managing Documents from your Team Applications Module
- As teams upload documents, you will see a red document icon, along with the number of documents waiting to be accepted.
It is recommended that you limit your work within app groups, accepted and incomplete reg (or whatever small group you feel comfortable with.) Teams without documents uploaded will not have an icon; teams you have previously accepted and marked Ok will have a green icon in the first column.
- Click on the red icon to access the Document Management Screen.
Most likely, you will be accepting all the documents and there will be a complete set, but in the rare instance this is not the case, you can choose to accept documents individually and provide the team feedback on the ones that are problematic. You can also delete a document. - To review the document, click on the document link. It will pop up in a separate window.
- Uploaded documents WILL NOT BE RETAINED after your event, so if you think you will be needing them after your event, you should download them to your local computer or to a cloud-based data locker. Again, we will not retain documents. There will be no exception to this. Once they are deleted after your event, they are really, seriously, permanently deleted.
- There is a 15 minute timer once you open the window to manage the documents. You should also close the window once you are done with the team.
- To Accept all the documents, click on Accept ALL documents. The document will be accepted and the team marked OK as registered.
- If you bulk OK to Register the teams from your team listing, you will also be accepting all the documents for the teams you check. Be careful you do not OK the team for registration. You will still be able to click through to their uploaded documents from the green document icon and view the documents they uploaded. You will also be able to delete the document, but it get messy and is usually a bad idea.
What the Teams See from their Application
Remember, a team must be accepted to see the document upload link. If they don’t see it, double check they have been accepted.
The easiest way to get familiar with the document upload center is to approve one of your club teams, log in and click through.
Basically, there are four steps for a team.
- Make sure the document is one of three approved formats; pdf, png and jpg. A PDF is preferred.. real PDf, not something that was saved out as a pdf with scans and such. Most phones will not enable a user to scan a document and save it as a pdf. Size also matters. the document must be under 2meg, 1.7meg is a safe target size.
- Select the type of document
- Find the document on their computer
- Upload
If the team needs to delete a document, they can until you accept it. If they have already been approved to register and have changes or additional documents, you must first toggle them Incomplete for registration before they can submit additional documents. Also, if they have a document in two parts for whatever reason, they can submit two under the same document type. If they are REPLACING a document they previously uploaded but has not yet been accepted, they should delete the existing one first.
A troubleshooting guide is linked for their convenience.
Waiting until the last minute
Teams will wait until the last minute and rush through, get frustrated and blame the system. They really should not do this, but they most likely will anyway. Can’t be helped; people gonna people! Every server system has limitations and if too many people are all trying to upload too many documents all at the same time, they may get a server busy error. They should step away and attempt to submit documents during non-peak times. We can only all do our best.
And lastly, because if you did not see this the first two times above, this is your last warning: